Luka
by KHtrinity
Summary: He was different. Unstable, weird, weak, a sissy, and no matter how many times Kanda asked he would always smile that disgustingly fake smile of his and brush it off like it was nothing. What was Allen Walker hiding? AU/Yullen
1. Introduction

**Warnings for this story:** Strong language, child-abuse, depression, mentions of rape (and even though I won't write scenes with it, I would probably rate this a** T+** story, if it existed). You have been warned.

**Disclaimer: **I never had, and will never have the brains to create such a story as -Man, nor any of the fantastic characters from it (though, a girl can dream). They both belong to Hoshino Katsura only. The only thing I'm doing is making the characters dance a different dance then the one we all know...

* * *

**Introduction**

The life in an apartment was great, at least for Yu Kanda.

He had the space he needed, he had a kitchen, a living room and a bedroom, and despite everything being a little small, it was perfect for him. But it wasn't only the apartment that gave him a good feeling, but also where it was located. Because even though it was situated very close to his school and very close to other big residential areas, his neighbourhood was quiet and remote. He would have to admit that it was a little dirty, and that the people living there were mostly poor. This of course, made Kanda stand out. If he wanted, he could have moved to a much more luxurious apartment, where the whole building didn't seem to share one boiler, and where he could get a nice view of a park or the sea.

But he didn't need to, and that's why he didn't. He had what he needed, and when he found out that he needed more, he would move, but for now he was satisfied.

Still, despite him being satisfied, he would never understand why another teenager would move in the floor above him when there were so many other places, better places that he could choose.

The truth was; he was very surprised when Allen Walker moved into the apartment above him.

* * *

**AN:**

I have a hard time writing introductions, summaries and such, but I hope I made it seem, even if just a little bit interesting. I don't know why I decided to split the introduction and the chapter apart, but when I started writing chapter 1 it seemed like the right thing to do. The first chapter is 90% done, and will be posted either tomorrow or on Monday.

Review? :)


	2. Chapter 1

**Warnings for this story:** Strong language, child-abuse, depression, mentions of rape (and even though I won't write scenes with it, I would probably rate this a** T+** story, if it existed). I have warned you again. :)

**Disclaimer: **See introduction ~

* * *

**Chapter 1**

It had been a few days since he had gotten proper sleep, and that had made him tired and grumpy. He didn't know why he wasn't able to sleep normal and relaxing like he used to, but he supposed it had something to do with Lavi and his carelessness.

They had been given an assignment in chemistry a few days back, which was supposed to be handed in the next day and Kanda and Lavi were no where near finished. That was all thanks to Lavi's "it'll-be-alright" attitude and his will to do absolutely nothing. Out of all people, Kanda had to be paired with him.

This had to be the reason for his insomnia. Maybe if he locked Lavi in a cage, threw the cage on a random ship that was leaving for some unknown country, his life would be peaceful. But that was just wish-thinking. After all, if he was caught, he would have to life his life in prison, and that was not on Kanda's list. But really, Lavi was annoying, and Kanda was really glad that he hadn't followed him home today. He was just too tired to deal with that shit, and he needed time alone.

When he came home, the first thing he did was to lay day own the couch and rest. He could feel rage boiling within his chest at the thought of the project and at Lavi, and he did his best to relax, taking deep breaths and thinking of random things. However, just as he felt himself calm down, the doorbell rang.

"Fuck, is ten minutes of peace too much to ask?"

It seemed like people liked to bother him because of his short fuse, which of course, only made the fuse shorter.

He stood up and stomped over to the door. He tried to calm himself down before he opened, but if the one behind that door was Lavi…Lavi would be no more.

The bell rung again just as he was going to open the door, which annoyed him. What happened to patience?

He opened the door, and was surprised when he saw someone at his door that he had never seen or talked to before. It was a young man, or actually, it was a boy, 14 or 15 years old, who was standing on his doorstep. He had clothes, that when Kanda took a closer look, were rather shabby and looked a bit worn out. Either that, or the kid was simply too thin to fill the clothes. He was very small after all, probably a head and a half shorter than Kanda.

But what stood out the most about this kid, was his white hair. If Kanda hadn't seen his face, he would have mistaken him for an old man. Usually, this would have made a person ugly, but Kanda had to admit, that it didn't seem to work on this kid. His face was childish, and looked soft, and if Kanda hadn't known better, he would have mistaken him for a girl. Still, there was something off about him.

Kanda had never before seen such lifeless and empty eyes. Even the big smile on the child's face couldn't hide that.

"I'm sorry for intruding, but could you tell me where 302 is? It seems like some of the numbers have fallen off some doors."

He even sounded cheerful, but his eyes were just as empty as the eyes of a porcelain doll.

"Why do you want to know?" Kanda asked with feigned interest.

"Um, I'm moving in and I'll probably be staying a while, so…"

Kanda was mildly surprised at this, and it probably showed on his face, since a delicate blush bloomed on the kid's cheeks.

"Is something wrong?"

Kanda turned back into scowling as he registered the boy's question. Why the heck would something be wrong? He had only asked him a question. Seriously, this kid had problems.

"No, and 302 is up the stairs and to the left. It's right above me."

The boy nodded and muttered a "thanks", picked up a suitcase Kanda hadn't noticed until now and proceeded to the stairs. Kanda went back into his apartment, and threw off the shoes he hadn't bothered to when he had come home a few moments ago. He was so tired, and he still had that assignment to do.

"Goddammit!"

---

The next morning, Kanda woke to the sound of his alarm clock. He was a light sleeper, and had no problems with getting up in the morning. This also made him very energetic, and was a plus for someone with such training addict as he had. He never bragged, but that didn't mean other people had gotten to know his talent for sport. Since sixth grade, Kanda had been offered positions in different sport clubs, but he had always thanked no. He liked training, but he preferred to do it alone, something that had led him to kendo. He had trained kendo since the end of sixth grade, and he still went training twice a week. He always looked forward to his kendo practices, but thanks to Lavi, it was hard to focus on the coming Saturday and Kendo training because of the assignment. Kanda took school seriously, because he knew he had to if he wanted something out of his life.

He got up and got dressed quickly. His breakfast was always simple. Despite having been told many times before by his annoying foster father that breakfast was the most important meal Kanda never bothered to make such a big deal out of it (mostly because it was his foster father that had told him to eat properly). So just like any other day, Kanda ate bread, and drank a glass of milk. He did his best not to think about the assignment or any other Lavi-related business.

It took him only ten minutes to walk to school, and he was always early, even if not by much. Kanda liked his routines, and though Lavi always called him a "perfectionist", Kanda couldn't care less.

Kanda walked past a group of students and down the corridor to his classroom. He really hoped Lavi for once had decided to come early. Kanda had stayed up late last night, working on the assignment, but even though he had written 5-6 pages, it was far from enough. He knew, that Lavi always managed to finish his part right before they had to hand in, and that somehow he would always manage to write it just as perfectly as Kanda (who most probably had spent twice as much time on writing as Lavi), but Kanda simply hated the idiot's way of doing things, especially when he could never be sure if Lavi had been able to finish.

But, confirming Kanda's "theory-about-idiots", Lavi was sitting on their usual table in their chemistry classroom with a small pile of papers in front of him.

"That better be for the assignment, or you will be my next subject for testing."

Lavi looked up from his doodling on the desk and grinned.

"Morning sunshine, and yes, they are for the assignment. I told you there was nothing to worry about."

"I never worry, psycho."

Kanda slumped down next to Lavi, punching him in the arm on the way. Punching Lavi somehow always lifted his mood.

"Ouch! What was that for, Yu-chan, I didn't even say anything."

"You just did, and don't call me that."

"Until I see you smile, a tinsy winsy one is enough, I'll call you Yu as much as I like. Really Yu-chan, it's all up to you."

"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"

"You never smile, you always scowl. Like this, see?" Lavi grimaced, looking like he was chewing a lemon. "You should smile, Yu-chan. It would do you good, trust me, I know how this works."

Kanda gritted his teeth, his hands clenching and un-clenching as the red-head said his name. He was just about to deck Lavi and throw him out the window as the door opened and rest of the class walked in.

Damn, he would have to wait after class.

---

"I told you I don't want you in my apartment, go away."

"But Yu-chan, it's finally weekend, and it's the perfect time to deepen bonds between people. Not that we have to go any deeper, we're already madly in love as it is-"

"Shut the fuck up, fucking idiot. Don't ever mention me and you in the same sentence again, I can't stand the pain."

"Aw, you're so mean."

"Um…"

The third voice went unnoticed by the two quarrelling men.

"You're asking for it, you're so fucking annoying."

"E-excu-"

"I'm not, you simply lack the ability to see my greatness, which is strange, because that ability is very common."

"Shut the **fuck** up."

"Excuse me!"

He had been on his way home when Lavi suddenly joined him and begun intruding his personal space. The red headed bastard was just like a bacteria, never really leaving once it had first gotten stuck, and no matter how much Kanda insulted him, he would never go away. He hadn't been able to get rid of him today either, and now they were standing outside his apartment while Kanda checked his bag for the keys. They were chatting normally until a third person joined in the conversation. Kanda didn't recognize the voice at once, and even though he was a little irritated at the moment, he turned to see who it was.

He was slightly surprised, again, as he laid his eyes on the white-haired boy from yesterday. The boy was wearing different clothes than he had been wearing yesterday, these seemed more fitting, and he was carrying a bag full of groceries in his right hand.

Lavi was even more surprised than Kanda, and he looked at the smaller boy with a big grin on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss, are we in the way?"

Lavi walked out of the way, but the kid only looked at him, his mouth slightly agape.

"I'm not a girl." He said, irritation clear in his voice.

Lavi looked even more surprised, if that was possible, and Kanda smirked inwardly as Lavi began to stutter.

"B-but, your voice…and face."

"Well, sorry about that, it's not like I chose to be born this way", The boy snapped as he stomped past them and up the stairs. They could clearly hear the sound of the door smacking in place, a little sharper than usual. Lavi was blushing, his eyes still on the place where the white-haired kid had been standing a few moments ago.

"A-a boy? It was a boy? Yu, who was that?"

Kanda finally found his keys at the bottom of his bag, and found it very tempting to point and laugh at Lavi when he saw his face. He would have done it, had he been anyone but Yu Kanda.

"Apparently my new neighbour now quit using my fucking name and get in."

He heard Lavi following him and the door closing.

"Yu, who was that?"

"I won't repeat myself, shithead."

"Yeah, yeah, he's your neighbor and all, but what's his name?"

Kanda took two beer bottles out from his fridge and sat down at the small table.

"How am I supposed to know, he moved in yesterday."

Lavi joined him and grabbed a beer. He was no longer blushing, rather, he was wearing his trademark grin.

"Man, he's cute, probably 14 years old by the looks of it."

Kanda didn't say anything, though that didn't stop Lavi from blabbering out his thoughts. It was always like this, Lavi talking, and Kanda trying to ignore.

"Are you really sure it was a boy? He was a real doll, with his white hair, his height, his soft looking skin-"

"You sound like a love stricken girl and it's fucking annoying. Shut up!"

Lavi laughed.

"If I were, you would hardly have the right to blame me, Yu-chan. Or could it be that you're jealous? Aw, that's so cute-"

With a simple hand movement, the beer cork hit Lavi's forehead with a thud, causing him to whine and cover his head in defence.

"Alright, alright. Geez, you really need to learn how to control that temper of yours."

Though, Lavi knew that would never happen. Kanda would remain the way he was now for the rest of his life. He would probably mature, one way or another, and Lavi was really looking forward to that day, but he still had the feeling Kanda would always remain the bastard that he was. Not that he complained, teasing Kanda was the only thing that made school fun, and even though Kanda knew that just as well as Lavi, he would always react to his teasing.

"Get a life." Kanda retorted, gulping down more beer.

"Right back at ya." Lavi smirked. "-and that's why you will be joining me at the club tonight. It's the only way to enjoy life." Lavi exclaimed happily, enjoying the way the beer got stuck in Kanda's throat as he said this. Really, playing with Kanda was more fun than anything.

"No fucking way. I'm not going to waste this night, or any other night of my life, listening to crappy techno shit and suffer from the company of drunkards. If you want me to enjoy life, then get the fuck out of it."

"Nope, sorry Yu-chan. We are going, or I'll be calling Tiedoll and telling him that you're being anti-social."

Kanda's face showed utter horror, before it turned to disbelief.

"You don't have his number, so don't try to pull shit like that on me."

"How do you know I don't? If you don't believe me, I can call him now."

"…You don't have his number."

Lavi grinned. "I'll show you." He pulled his cell out from his pocket and typed in a number, smiling at Kanda as he waited for the call to go through. He had looked everywhere for Tiedoll's number, just so he could use it in a situation like this. It seemed like the only thing Kanda really dreaded was his caring foster father.

"Hello?"

"Ah, hello Tiedoll, this is Lavi, I'm Kanda's friend."

"Lavi-kun, so nice to hear from you, how are you, and how is my dear son? I haven't heard from him in ages, he never picks up the phone. He's such a naughty boy, but he's so adorabl-"

The phone was snapped out of his hand, and before Lavi could even wave his phone goodbye it was flying out the window, leaving a panting and angry Kanda in its wake. Still, Lavi didn't mourn over the loss of his cell as he took out a new one from his other pocket and showed it to Kanda, grinning like mad.

"No matter how many times you come at me, I'll always strike back, Yu-chan. It's better to give up and we'll all be happy."

"Fuck you!"

---

That night, Kanda came home in a foul mood. He had given in to Lavi's threats and joined him at the club, and as he had predicted, the club was full of crappy music, in addition to being over-crowded. Kanda hated crowded places more than anything, and couldn't fathom why others didn't.

They had met Lenalee at the club, a girl one year younger than them they knew very well, as Kanda explained it, and she and Lavi had joined another gang for the rest of the night. Kanda had been unwilling when Lavi had invited him to join them, and had after two torturously slow hours been able to get away and out of the club. He would never let Lavi trick him again, at least not if it doomed him to spend time at the club.

He fumbled, looking for his keys for the second time that day and cursed as he didn't find them. Why the heck were they always so hard to find? It's not like there was that much space in his pockets.

He must have been looking for a while when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. For some reason he knew exactly who it was and wasn't even surprised when he heard that light, soft voice that belonged to none other than the white-haired kid who lived at the floor above him.

"Hi!"

It was a soft greeting, and Kanda wondered why he even bothered to answer. But there was something that made him interested in the weird boy, though he had no idea why. He grunted in response, but looked up at the boy. The boy wasn't smiling like the first time they had met, which made him seem more dead than anything.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" He asked as he continued to look for his keys. God damn where was that fucking keychain?

The boy snorted, insulted.

"I'm 16, I don't need people telling me when to go to bed."

Kanda looked up, mock surprise in his eyes as he smirked at the boy.

"You look like you're fucking 13. Seriously kid, do you even know what puberty is?"

"Yes, in fact I do, I just haven't gotten that far yet."

"I can hear that."

The boy gritted his teeth, and Kanda could swear he saw steam coming out of the boy's ears. He finally understood why Lavi loved to tease him. Watching the boy's reactions was more enjoyable then he could have ever imagined, especially when he noticed the rosy blush decorating the child's face.

"Bastard, who are you to talk, you girly-haired man."

If there was one thing Kanda hated, then it was people commenting his hair, even if it was nice comments.

"Shut the **fuck **up, you fucking brat. If you say that again, I'll break your neck."

His strong yell clouded with anger could have scared away even the worms in the ground, if they had feeling that is.

Kanda was good at that, good at making unwanted things go away.

That stupid brat was no different, what the fuck did he-was he shaking?

There was no doubt, even though there wasn't much light, Kanda could see that the boy was shaking. Kanda was taken off guard by this. They had had a perfectly normal chat and now the kid was shaking with…fear? It had to be fear. The boy's eyes were wide and glassy, and looked very much like a dear caught in the headlights. What the heck was wrong with this kid?

"Hey, what's-"

But before Kanda had the chance to say anything else, the child turned hurriedly and ran up the stairs and a few seconds later Kanda heard the slamming of a door.

What the hell had just happened?

* * *

Kanda you meanie. Allen was just being cute, and you couldn't handle it. You insensible man. -sighs dramatically-

I always find the first chapters the hardest to write, so I'm not really satisfied with this chapter. Yet, I always seem to overreact, so I hope it wasn't that much of a let down to any of you.

**Review? :) **


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **See introduction~

**Warning for this story: **See introduction (or chapter 1, your choice) I'm not going to repeat this in any of the next chapters. I'm too lazy ^^

**Warnings for this chapter: **This one is rated **T** because of the, from time to time, bad language, but that's not new is it? Oh, and there might be some grammatical errors every now and then, like many have probably noticed in my earlier stories/chapters, but I hope its not so bad it'll distract. Enjoy~

**Chapter 2**

That Saturday, Kanda Yu decided to go training. For some reason, the way his neighbour had acted the day before had made him frustrated. He didn't even know the kid's name, and yet his behaviour had affected Kanda. He found it strange. He didn't have any interest in the kid, had never really had any interest of making friends, and that hadn't changed. It was simply the look in the kid's eyes that made Kanda wonder. They looked so lifeless, but when he had reacted to Kanda's outburst the day before they had been full of fear. He had been so scared he had started to shiver. What bothered Kanda the most, was that it seemed like fear was the only thing that made the kid seem human.

Such a weak kid.

And despite both knowing and detesting that, it seemed like his mind didn't want to let go of him.

That's why Kanda decided to go training that day to clear his mind of all unwanted thoughts.

He did not expect that meeting the boy would be the first thing that happened when he left his apartment, though it didn't surprise him all that much; for some reason they always met when Kanda either left his apartment, or was on his way in.

It seemed like the boy was lost in his own world as he walked down the stairs, his cloudy eyes staring straight ahead of him, not even noticing Kanda who was standing at the bottom. Kanda expected him to snap out of his haze when he passed him, but apparently the kid was so lost in his own mind he didn't even see Kanda as he walked past him.

"Hey, kid!"

No reaction.

Annoyed, Kanda grabbed the kid's left arm and pulled roughly.

"Look at me when I-"

"NO!"

A sharp pull and a frightened yell later, the 16-year old was facing Kanda, his gray eyes were filled with surprise, fear, and if Kanda didn't know any better; guilt.

"I'm so-sorry. I-I didn't mean to-"

"Take it easy kid."

Kanda hated the fact that he seemed like a therapist talking to a patient, but it seemed like the boy was in dire need for it. He was shaking, again, and his breathing laboured, like he had just run a hundred miles. Unstable, was the only fitting word Kanda could come up with that could describe him.

The boy nodded hesitantly, and seemed to calm down. After a while, he started to blush, probably embarrassed by the way he had acted and he begun apologizing to a confused Kanda.

"What the hell are you apologizing for? It's not like you fucking punched me."

The boy shut his mouth, the question taking him off guard before Kanda could see the child's face relax. The boy shook his head, and smiled a small humourless smile.

"Nothing, really, just…sorry for bothering you." With that he turned to walk out the front door of the building, but Kanda wouldn't let him go just like that. He caught up with him and followed him outside.

"What the hell is the matter with you Beansprout?"

The boy looked him in confusion.

"Beansprout? I'm not a beansprout."

Irritation colored the kid's voice, and Kanda couldn't help but snicker at the childishness in his voice. He ignored the boy's comment, something that seemed to annoy the boy further.

"Answer the question."

Growling, the child started walking down the street to wherever he was headed, but Kanda followed, truly curious.

"I don't exactly see how that is any of your business, besides, there's nothing wrong with me."

"Oh, really?"

"No! What's the matter with you?"

"What?"

"You're angry all the time, just like now, you're growling." And indeed, he was. That little brat really had guts, asking him if he had problems.

"Well, you should fucking get used to it, 'cause it's not going to change." Kanda snapped back while sticking his hands in his pockets. He didn't know why he was following the brat. He was supposed to go training, to get his mind off of him, not follow him around asking him questions. Yet he simply couldn't stop himself.

The boy hmm'ed as he pulled out some money from his pockets.

"I suppose it was…nice seeing you again, but I have to go now."

The Beansprout looked up at him, smiling that disgustingly fake smile of his and bid him farewell as he took off in another direction.

"See you when I see you."

Kanda had no idea what to answer to that. One part of him was glad that he was gone, the other had lots of unanswered questions.

He left for the dojo, grumbling.

---

The next days passed quickly, and before he knew it, winter vacation was upon them.

Kanda felt inner joy when he knew that Lavi had left on a road trip with his grandpa the first day of their one week of freedom. This way, he didn't have to deal with Lavi and his antics throughout the vacation, though, he was thinking of going somewhere himself for a day or two. It wasn't that he needed a change of environment, but as time had passed since that Saturday, he had started to think that his place seemed emptier than usual. He hadn't talked to the Beansprout since that day, and for some reason, it affected him more then he would show, but to go up and pay him a visit because he craved _company _would be a blow to his pride, so he pushed the thoughts to the back of his head and ignored them. Still, he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of excitement spark when he heard someone rapping softly at his door.

He threw the tv remote on the couch and opened the door.

"I'm sorry for disturbing, but…could I borrow some towels? I forgot to buy when I was in town."

Kanda smirked, leaning smugly against the doorframe.

"And what will I get if I let you borrow them?"

"…"

The boy looked unsure for a moment.

"What do you want?"

"What do you have?"

He didn't need to look twice to see that the kid looked troubled, his expression was obvious though it had only been there for a flicker of a second.

"…5."

"5 what?"

"You know what."

Clicking his tongue, Kanda frowned. He had absolutely no interest in the money, he had no need for them either, he had simply wanted to annoy the little idiot. He hadn't thought the kid would actually offer him something. He was only borrowing some fucking towels.

The kid was watching him patiently, shifting the weight on his legs from time to time as the seconds passed.

"I have no need for that shit."

The boy opened his mouth, probably to argue, but Kanda shut the door in his face. He then walked to his bathroom and took the first towel he saw and walked back to the door. The kid was standing on his doorstep, bewildered, as Kanda opened and threw the towel in his face.

"I want it cleaned when you're done."

He didn't take his time to listen to the boy's thanks as he shut the door again just as quickly, but he couldn't block out the small muttering of a "thank you" that drifted through his closed door.

---

The second day of their one week vacation Kanda decided to take a quick tour to the market. It wasn't that he found it interesting in anyway, he simply needed some fresh air. He had spent the previous day swapping channels and training Kendo, not really bothering to do anything productive. He hadn't been outside his apartment at all, so even if he didn't like the market, and crowded places, he needed to get a break from his apartment.

Kanda could smell the winter in the air as he walked down the streets, and towards the market. The air was clean and fresh, in other words, at its best. He had always preferred nature over industry, and liked the way the snow muffled the sounds from the city, making it more peaceful. It wasn't snowing, but he was sure that it would soon. It was getting colder and colder, even though March was only a few weeks away, but he didn't really mind.

He could feel the cold stinging in his face by the time he had entered the market. Walking had taken him approximately 25 minutes, and he was now standing at the markets south-east entrance. Already Kanda could see big crowds of people, some talking animatedly, others shopping with enthusiasm.

He had really no idea what he was doing there.

He walked through the crowds without any real destination. Sometimes he had to make his way through crowds by force, and did not bother to help the people who fell. It was after all their fault for being in his way. There were stands serving hot drinks and waffles, stands selling clothes, homemade sculptures, art, and lots of other things Kanda didn't found any interesting at all.

He then spotted a stand that stood out among all the others. He could see blades and swords lying at the counter, having been placed there with great care. He trotted over and looked at them with great interest. He picked up the one closest to him, and enjoyed the heavy weight of it in his hand. The hilt of the sword fit his hand perfectly, and the blade had a cold black colour. It felt like it belong there, in his hand.

"You have excellent taste sir, this sword was forged in the 19th century by, at that time, a very famous blacksmith. His swords were the best on the market."

Kanda didn't say anything, only sending the shop owner, who was a small, round man with a cold bitten face, a glance to show he had heard him. He continued to study the sword as the enthusiastic man started telling him about its history.

"It was made for a man people believed to be an exorcist. Saving souls that had been trapped inside horrible monsters, and the only way to do it was to cut them down with weapons. But the weapons had to be special, they had to have been blessed by god himself, and so to say, there didn't exist many of those weapons."

Kanda couldn't have cared less about god's blessing, but for once decided not to be rude. He was very interested in this sword, though not because of its history.

"In the beginning, this sword was as normal as any other, except for the incredible craftsmanship of course. But when the exorcist heard of it, he decided to make it his weapon. It then became god's weapon and has ever since had a special aura to it. I've also heard rumours from the previous owners that this sword is at its sharpest when it's used for protection."

Kanda snorted inwardly, trying not to mock the salesman. It was better for the wallet to buy from a happy salesman than an offended one.

"I'll take it."

The salesman smiled and clapped his hands together in excitement.

"A good choice sir, you won't be disappointed."

Kanda ignored him and dug through his pockets for money. He had brought lots of money with him, having meant to use it for grocery shopping, but he was too interested in the sword to let it go. He handed them to the salesman, paying full price, but the salesman shook his head with a small smile.

"I can see that you have a fancy in swords, and I can see that you respect the weapons in your hand. That's why I will give you a discount. Not many customers these days know the true beauty of swords."

Kanda didn't answer, only accepting the money he was given back and started to walk away. He was stopped a few moments later by the salesman's voice.

"Sir!" He yelled.

"You need to know the sword's name."

Kanda che'd and stopped, but didn't turn around. The salesman took this as his clue.

"It's name is Mugen. Mugen means Ill-"

"Illusion." Kanda cut the salesman off. He knew very well what it meant, he was Japanese after all. Deciding he wanted to go home, Kanda continued to walk. He had strapped the sword around his hip, the weight not bothering him at all. He could feel people staring weirdly at him, and if he hadn't been a very controlled man, he would have snapped at them. He did, however, almost draw his sword when a hand was thrown over his shoulders, and a dreadful sound reached his ears.

"Yu-chan, what are you doing here? I didn't think someone as anti-social as you could ever find your way to the market."

His hand did however, almost automatically, found its way to the swords hilt and grasped it with great force.

".FUCK are you doing here?"

He shook Lavi's hands off his shoulders, almost wanting to kill him for having touched him at all. But Lavi, as usual, didn't mind.

"I can't be here? Seriously Yu-chan, I didn't think you were _that _ego."

Kanda's hand clenched the hilt tighter, his knuckles turning white at the hard grip.

"What the fuck are you doing here when you're supposed to be out of town, you fucking moron?"

Lavi's face lit up in realization, and planted his right fist in the palm of his left hand.

"Ah, you mean the road trip?"

The look Kanda sent him was one of a starving vampire at the last day of a two week's lent. Lavi looked slightly uncertain.

"E-eh, Panda changed his mind, saying he had more important things to do, so we went back home again. But Yu, aren't you glad to see me? We've been separated for so long, I thought I was never going to see you a-"

He hadn't been able to restrain himself. Maybe he needed to learn how to control his anger, but Lavi would not live to see that day. His sword had been drawn, and the blade was now only an inch away from Lavi's nose. Kanda felt proud of the fact that he had full control over the blade, even though he had just bought it. Lavi however, was not that enthusiastic.

"K-Kanda? I-Is that a real sword?"

"Yes it is, and for your sake I hope its sharp, or you will find death to be very painful."

Lavi backed up, step by step, Kanda following his every step. The murder glint in Kanda's eyes scared him blue. He had never seen Kanda this angry/mad before, and concluded that he must be having a bad day. A **really **bad day. He should have known. Seeing Kanda going to the market of his own free will was not something that happened everyday, and if it happened, he must have had a good reason. Or bad.

Lavi decided to call it quits.

"Okay, okay, I get it, you want to be alone. But you see, I didn't came here to bother you-"

If he hadn't had any self control, Kanda would have laughed.

"-I came to ask you to give something to someone, after all, you see him more than I do."

"And why should I accept?"

Lavi sighed and rubbed the back of his head, his shoulders were still stiff, since Kanda hadn't removed his sword.

"I won't bother you the rest of the vacation, not intentionally at least."

Kanda's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Make that six months and we have a deal."

"Ahaha, seriously Yu-chan, that's just not possible."

Grudgingly, Kanda had to agree. To have an Idiot-free week could be possible, but a half a year seemed too unlikely. The stupid idiot was too stubborn and clingy for anyone's good. He wouldn't get any better deal than this.

He sheathed his sword, breathing out angrily, as if he had lost.

"Fine."

Lavi grinned and relaxed. He then took out a plate of, something, out of his pocket and gave it to Kanda who accepted it hesitantly. Kanda looked down at the plate and frowned.

"Chocolate? You've got to be shitting me."

Lavi nodded with a mischievous smile.

"You promised Yu-chan, and since you're not one to break promises, like me, then I'm counting on you. Give it to your neighbor, okay?"

"What neighbor?"

Kanda thought for a while before a small lightning struck him.

"The Beansprout? What the fuck? Why are you giving him chocolate?"

Even though Kanda couldn't have cared less, he did find it awkward to give the beansprout chocolate from someone he probably didn't even remember. Hell, he was not going to put his pride through that.

"Because he looked like one who had never tasted chocolate in his whole life, and I tell you, that's bad. Besides, I did give him a rather wrong impression when we first met, so I hope he will forgive me with this."

"…"

Kanda didn't say anything, but didn't hide his grumpiness either. If the Idiot wanted to give the beansprout chocolate, then why couldn't he do it himself?

"Are you in fucking love with the kid?"

"Not in love, Yu, I'm simply interested."

"Whatever."

* * *

**AN: **Aaaaand, cut!

lol, that was a rather abrupt ending, but I had do it that way. Anyway, to those who saw this chapter's original upload date on my profile page, and felt utterly (and understandably) disappointed for having to wait this long, I just want to say that I'm really sorry. To put it simply; school distracted me. Forgiveness? ;_;

I'm halfway through chapter 3, and will start typing more when I get home from Germany, which is on Friday.

Now, about this chapter, I usually take my time before I get to a story's climax so this chapter can be called a warm up. The next chapter will be much more interesting. Why? Because Kanda is paying our dear unlucky Allen a visit. Will it lead to yullen? Hmm, maybe :D

**Review? :)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

He had no idea why he was doing what he was doing to help that stupid Lavi start over again with the Beansprout. He didn't even like Lavi, and now he was doing favours for him, that manipulating bastard. But it was probably better than to bring Lavi with him, because if he had, the man would never have left again.

He was now standing outside the Beansprout's door, a place he never thought he would be standing. It was usually the Beansprout who knocked at his door, not the other way around. But here he was, doing something he had absolute no desire of doing.

He knocked hard on the wooden door and waited.

And waited.

He knocked again even more harshly and added in a kick to relieve some of his anger. If the Beansprout had manners, then he should well know that keeping a visitor waiting outside your door was most impertinent.

Kanda was readying his sword by the time he heard footsteps approaching the door from the other side. Maybe that was why the Beansprout was about to close the door immediately after having caught a glimpse of what was on the other side of his door, but Kanda was able to stop the door on its retreat with his foot. He was successful in keeping the door open, but couldn't help but grimace at the Beansprout's strength. Who the hell would have thought a shrimp like him could muster up such strength.

"Y-you?" The boy gasped in surprise, loosing his grip on the door.

Kanda shot him a glare.

"Yes, _me_. Who the hell do you think it was, the boogeyman? Even a thirteen year old kid like you should be over him by now."

The boy glared back at him, and Kanda couldn't help but grin inwardly when he once again succeeded to mock the boy.

"You know, that joke is getting old."

"I don't joke."

"…and exactly why were you on the verge of breaking down my door? Where are your manners?"

Manners? This kid was asking _him _if he had manners?

"Your _wood wreck _was in the way, and you were too fucking slow anyone would have blasted the fucking thing."

The boy raised a white eyebrow, but didn't comment, having learned that Kanda would just send him another unfounded insult.

"And why were you looking for me?"

"I want my towel back."

The boy hesitated, looking thoughtful before he nodded and went back into his apartment to get it. Kanda took this opportunity to walk inside. He closed the door behind him with a small smack, and walked further into the apartment. The apartment was almost an identical copy of his own, the only thing different was the interior part. If anyone thought that Kanda's apartment was empty, then they would have taken it back immediately after having seen this kid's apartment.

The living room was completely void of furniture except for a sofa in the corner of the room. A lamp was standing right next to it, and a small pile of books were lying at its feet. Kanda didn't know if this matched the Beansprout's personality or not, but he struggled to hide his surprise. He walked over to the sofa and reached down to pick up a book when the kid came out of the bathroom. He jumped when he saw him, a small gasp escaping his lips, but he collected himself faster than he had done before and went over to him.

"I don't remember to have invited you in, but, here's your towel."

Kanda didn't take it.

"I don't need it."

A bewildered look graced the boy's features.

"Then why did you say you wanted it back?"

"Just, shut up, thank you, here."

Kanda took the chocolate out of his pocket and handed it over to the kid who accepted it, though a bit hesitantly. Jesus, this kid managed to make every little thing seem awkward.

"Why…are you giving me this?"

"It's not from me, so don't flatter yourself. It's from the stupid, redhead idiot that mistook you for a girl."

The boy's face changed from surprised to annoyed at once, apparently no longer desiring the chocolate. He held it out for Kanda to take back, which he refused.

"Could you tell him, 'thank you, but I'm not really interested' for me?"

"No, whatever disgusting crush he has on you is entirely your own fault. Anyway, I have really no idea why he wanted to give you that shit. He did say something about you looking like you've never eaten chocolate before and wanted you to give it to you as an apology or something like that…"

Kanda halted, his eyes widening.

"Shit, I just sounded like a freakin' teenage girl, _thank_ you shorty."

"Wha? How was that my fault?"

"You're the reason for me being here in the first place, so shut that trap and enjoy the fucking chocolate."

The white haired kid seemed like he wanted to retort, but he held it in and looked down at the chocolate in his hands. A flicker of emotion showed on his face, but was gone so fast Kanda wondered if it had been his imagination. The boy unfolded the paper and cracked off a small piece. He looked at Kanda as if he wanted to offer him some, but changed his mind at the look on Kanda's face. Instead he tasted the chocolate himself, and he chewed slowly, as if savouring the taste. The kid looked at him with emotionless eyes, but to his surprise, the boy's face seemed to soften, becoming less tense. It was only there for a moment, but this time, Kanda could swear that he had seen it.

Repacking the rest of the chocolate, the boy headed to the kitchen. Kanda followed, not sure why he was still there at all now that he had delivered the chocolate.

The kitchen had the exact same shape as his, but just as the living room, it seemed lacking. There was a fridge, an oven, and a small table in the corner of the room, accompanied by a chair. That was all.

The boy opened the fridge and put the chocolate inside, for reasons unknown to Kanda. Usually, candy like chocolate was stored in a cupboard, not a refrigerator (though Kanda didn't really know much about that, he detested candy after all). He then stood up and turned to Kanda.

"Um, aren't you leaving? You've done what you came here for after all."

"Do you want me out that badly?"

"N-no, I just, my apartment is rather dull-" _'No shit!' _"-and there's really not much to do here, so I'm just wondering why you would want to stay."

"…I'm bored-" He lied, "-and the stupid redhead will come bother me if he knows I'm home, so I might as well be here."

The boy nodded slowly in understanding, but didn't seem entirely convinced. Kanda had no idea why he lied so he could stay in this apartment longer. Really, there was nothing to do here, no tv to watch, no food to eat, and the brat and him had absolutely nothing interesting to talk to each other about. Yet he, some way or another, wanted to know more about the little weirdo. Where were his parents, why did he live by himself in a dump like this, where did he get the money, but most of all, why the fuck did he never smile?

"Where do you go to school?"

He didn't know why he wanted to know, but it had bugged him for a while, that despite the kid saying he was 16, which means he should be attending the same school as Kanda, Kanda had never once seen or heard of someone like him at school.

The boy's shoulders stiffened again, his eyes suddenly looked guarded, as if there were things he would rather not tell Kanda.

"I.."

Silence passed between them, and Kanda started to tap his foot impatiently. He could clearly see that the boy was struggling, but that didn't mean he liked waiting.

"No where." The boy finally answered. "I don't have the time."

"What kind of kid doesn't have _time _for school? It's a fucking obligation for someone your age."

They boy glared, a clear pout on his face.

"Someone like _me_ doesn't, and I'm _not _a kid."

"Watch it _kid_, If you keep telling lies you might end up believing them."

For some reason, Kanda wasn't surprised by the fact that the boy didn't attend school. He just wouldn't have fitted in among lovesick girls, and football freaks. Kanda didn't really know if he thought that was a good or a bad thing.

"And what do you use the time on? Playing video games?" Though Kanda knew very well the kid didn't even own a tv.

"No, I'm working. You've probably noticed that I live alone, in other words, I'm paying the rent by myself so I have to work to earn money. I just…don't have time for school."

"What the fuck. Kids like you, _especially_ a thirteen year old kid like you, aren't allowed to work that much." Kanda paused, "Unless you're working black."

The boy blushed and yelled angrily at him.

"Wha, NO! What kind of thought is that? I'm most certainly not working black, I'm not leeching off anyone. How can you say that?"

He would almost have laughed at how offended the boy sounded and how red his face was hadn't the last piece of information come out with a slightly desperate undertone. Just like the small flashes of pain Kanda could see on the boy's face from time to time, expressions he barely had the time to notice before they were gone, he barely noticed how desperate the boy sounded as he yelled at him, as if he needed Kanda to confirm for him that he was indeed not working black.

Could this kid get any weirder?

"Are you even allowed to live by yourself? Shouldn't you be in an orphanage or something?"

He could see that his words hurt the boy more than his sword could ever have done, but he needed answers. A thirteen year old kid, or sixteen year old (he didn't remember) kid like him was certainly not allowed to pay rents.

"Where are your parents, brat?"

Another pained grimace flashed across the boy's face, and he whispered softly.

"I believe that's none of your business."

Kanda clicked his tongue, and smiled cruelly.

"Oh, really? Do you want me to call the cops then? Because the way I see it, you are an orphanage fugitive that should be guided back to the aunties and play happily with the other orphans."

A look of utter horror spread across the young boy's face and showed even more desperation than Kanda had ever seen in a person.

"No! Please, I beg you, please don't. I'll tell you if you want to know."

Kanda smirked inwardly having achieved what he wanted. The boy sighed and reluctantly started telling him.

"I don't know who my mother and father are. I was abandoned as an infant, I think, and then picked up and put in an orphanage."

The boy was nervous, Kanda could easily tell, but he was far too interested to let the boy stop.

"I didn't stay there long, I was adopted by a man named Mana, and he took care of me the next-" The boy paused "8 years."

"Mana was the closest thing I knew to a father, but he died in a car crash when I was eleven. After that a man named Cross took me in and he became my guardian."

"The reason why I'm living alone here now is because we got…separated. This apartment is borrowed with his name, and since he's my guardian it's completely okay for me to live here, even though I'm on my own."

Kanda had a feeling that what he was hearing was the censored version, but let it pass. The kid had made it clear why he was living there after all, and there was nothing illegal about it. He made a small noise in the back of his throat and turned. He decided he wanted to check the kid's bedroom, to see if it was the same as his. Not that he cared, but he would use it as an excuse to stay a little bit longer.

"Wh-what are you doing? You can't go in there."

Kanda ignored the angry voice, and opened the door. He was not surprised to see the lack of furniture, but he did wonder why the heck the kid had nothing but a madras, instead of a proper bed.

"Why the hell do you sleep on a thing like that?"

The boy mumbled a response too low for Kanda to hear.

"Speak louder Beansprout" He looked over his shoulder and saw the flush on the boy's cheeks.

"I said that it's more convenient this way, and I just want you to know that I think you're very rude."

"Oh dear me." Kanda couldn't help but annoy the boy, and found it very entertaining. Especially in situations like now, when he could almost feel the boy twitch from behind him.

"That's it, I'm sick of being nice to you."

A hand grabbed his arm and tugged him harshly, trying to drag him out of the room. The only problem was that the Beansprout had practically no strength to stand up against him (_him squashing his foot with the door must have been an adrenaline rush_), in other words, Kanda wouldn't budge.

"Nngh."

The boy was getting frustrated, and Kanda was still not moving. He couldn't help but let an evil grin spread on his face. The boy's palms were getting sweaty from exasperation, and Kanda grimaced in disgust. The boy stopped pulling, looking angrily at him while panting slightly.

"What is in that body of yours? Lead?"

"Kid, it's not my fault you're weaker than an average 13 year old girl."

"Would you stop insulting me, prick? I don't know what the fuck is stuffed up your ass, but I swear that if you keep ticking me off, I'll personally make it so you won't be able to reproduce."

The outburst took him off guard, but he didn't turn to look at the boy. Right after, he heard the boy gasp and the grip on his hand was released. Finally the kid showed some backbone. He turned to meet the kid who was now looking utterly lost. His mouth opened and closed, not finding the right words, and his arms were frozen in one position. Kanda raised an eyebrow, making the boy wince.

"So you finally decided to drop that shitty polite attitude of yours? It's fucking about time, it annoyed me to hell."

What he said was true. He had increasingly become angry at the way the kid was always so polite, even though Kanda threw every possible insult that he could think of, at him. Finally Kanda could see the glimpse of a character behind that lifeless façade. The boy dropped his hands. Kanda moved towards him but almost froze again when he saw the kid backing away from him. It seemed to him like it was more of an unconscious movement rather than an intentional one, because the boy's eyes still showed nothing but surprise.

He breathed out frustratingly and started walking again, trying to ignore the way the boy backed away and let him pass; shying away from him. Still, Kanda felt satisfied, even if it was only just a little bit. He took a turn towards the hallway and stepped outside the door. He heard small footsteps from behind him and knew that the kid was following him.

"U-um…"

Kanda didn't stop, but continued on his way down the stairs to his own apartment. He did however take his time to find his house key, waiting for the boy to spit it out.

"I'll…see you tomorrow, right?"

He pulled out his keychain and put the key in the lock, pausing.

"…" He looked up at the boy at the top of the stairs. His expression had turned back to the blank and emotionless one, but be him damned if he didn't see a tint of hope in the kid's eyes.

He closed his eyes, grinning as he opened the door.

"If you really want to enjoy tomorrow, then go to bed Beansprout."

"Hmph, I'm not a Beansprout."

The door closed behind with a soft smack.

* * *

**AN: **Aah, I love the awkwardness between Kanda and Allen before they know each other properly *v*

And this was a bit more interesting, no? The real table turner will be in chapter 5, maybe even chapter 4 (if everything goes according to plan that is). This whole story will be around 8-9 chapters long (if everything goes according to plan :D.... In reality, I have no idea..... :D) Anyway, I'm thirsting for White tea right now, oh, and I can't wait for 9th March and the return of the DGM MANGA!!!!! :D:D Let's all take it together..1...2...3...HURRAY!!! \(^o^)/

**Review? :3**


	5. Chapter 4

**Warnings: **A few(or lots, I don't know yet) grammatical errors.

**Chapter 4**

The town was as lively as if it was in the middle of summer. A circus had come to town attracting the younglings out in the streets. Small children were running around, dragging their parents with them to see the animals and the acrobats doing tricks they called magic.

Kanda had never found anything about circuses entertaining, but since he now was dragging a 13 year old kid with him he would have to put up with it. The boy, whose name he had come to learn was Allen, was walking beside him carrying a bag of candy Kanda had bought for him. It had cost him, but the kid had nearly drooled at the sight of the candy and Kanda knew that if he hadn't gotten any, he would look gloomy the rest of the day. Allen was now sparkling with excitement and happiness, making Kanda wonder what changed him from the depressive teenager he had been the previous days.

"Oi!" he growled as Allen started running towards the circus tent where all the performances were held. The boy stopped and turned around to face him, looking puzzled.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice sounding small and innocent, resembling a child's.

Kanda took three strides, where the kid had taken at least six, and grabbed the boy's collar roughly.

"I'm not paying for anything anymore. If you want to go in there-" he made a motion towards the tent. "-then you have to pay for it yourself."

His grip on the boy's collar was so strong Allen's feet were barely touching the ground. He coughed, looking at Kanda, and coughed again. Kanda took the hint and, irritably, let the boy go. Allen touched his neck tenderly.

"But…don't you want to go?"

"No."

The boy huffed, folding his hands. "Spoil-sport." He mumbled before he raised his voice. "And why not? It will be fun, circuses always are."

"Shut up!" He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Circuses are crap, if you've seen one performance, you've seen them all."

Allen glared at him, his eyes suddenly cold.

"The quality of the performances varies, it all depends on the performer. Maybe the shows are very much alike, but not many performers have the talent that takes peoples breath away. I've seen real talent once, and it's an unforgettable experience."

The boy's eyes softened as he spoke, almost as if he was remembering something. For some reason, that bothered Kanda. No, to be frank, it annoyed him. Who was the person that made Allen smile softly like that? Who in Allen's memories turned his lifeless face into the smiling boy Kanda was looking at now? It was clear that Allen had happy memories from some time ago that included a circus. When the boy had seen the flyer with the picture of an elephant and two acrobats on his face had immediately changed from blank to joyful. Ever since they had entered the circus area, Kanda could see the boy almost skipping as he walked. Each step followed by a small jump. He had told the kid to fucking stop since it looked ridiculous, but had given up when the boy had completely ignored him.

Allen's face would also from time to time soften as he looked at the people walking by, almost as he was feeling nostalgic about the whole thing. It was as he was somewhere else than right there, beside Kanda.

He didn't know why, but it annoyed him.

"What makes circuses so fucking special anyway?"

The boy looked down at his feet, studying them as if the answer to everything was at the end of his shoelaces.

"I knew a man once. He worked as a travelling clown, entertaining kids with small magic tricks and funny movements."

He pushed a lock away from his face.

"Usually, clowns are very alike as you said, but he was more devoted then anyone else. Everything he did seemed real it was like he wasn't acting at all, and that's what made him so special."

Sighing, the boy shivered as a wind blew through all his clothes.

"He did more for me then anyone else has ever done. When we were together he treated me as if I was his own son, and he was always able to make me happy when I was down. That's why I like circuses, they remind me of him-"

Kanda's phone vibrated, interrupting Allen's speech, and no matter how much he wanted to ignore it the screen told him it was that stupid red-head, which means that if he hung up on him, he would continue ringing until he answered. He looked at Allen, who smiled in return, before he answered the phone.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"_Yu-chan, that's not how you treat your best friend, didn't Tiedoll ever teach you that?"_

"**Fuck you! **What do you want?"

"_Geez, why are you so impatient? Usually you would at least let me play with you for at least three minutes. I've been counting._"

"…I'm hanging up."

"_Okay, okay, I get it. So, where are you?"_

"I don't feel like telling you shithead."

"_But Yu-chan, a circus has come to town and me and Lenalee were thinking you wanted to get out for a bit. You know, human contact and all that stuff. We're currently__ in front of the huge circus tent that's just screaming for us to-"_

"You are where?"

"_Huh? I just told you;__ in front of the huge circus tent in the middle of-"_

"Shut up, I heard that."

"_Then why did you ask?"_

"Just…shut up."

He covered the speaking device with his hand and hissed hastily to Allen.

"Gather your stuff, we're leaving, now!"

Allen blinked in surprise. "Wha-"

"Shut up."

Kanda turned back to the phone.

"Since my phone has little battery left, I don't want to waste it on you, and no, I'm not fucking joining you and your stupidity. Don't call me."

He hung up, turning around and started walking with long strides in the direction of the exit.

"Wh-why are we leaving? We haven't even been in the tent yet."

"I don't fucking care if we've been to the tent or not, we're leaving, now move that small sticks you call legs and shut up."

Allen settled with a pout, most probably feeling a bit betrayed that he hadn't been able to see the performance when they had only been a short walk away from the tent. He walked sulkily after Kanda, observing the man's legs as he walked. Kanda's steps were long, almost twice as long as Allen's, and he had to jog every now and then to keep up. Kanda had his hands stuffed in his pockets again, and was scowling with all his might.

"Why can't he just leave me the fuck alone?" He muttered to himself, almost forgetting that Allen was right behind him.

"Where are we going?....Kanda?"

He dipped his hand down in the candy bag that was looking relatively smaller than it had been only half an hour ago. He took out a caramel and unwrapped it. He had always liked caramels since they lasted much longer than other candy.

"Eating."

---

It took them quite some time before they found the right restaurant. Actually, Allen would be happy with a simple McDonalds meal, but Kanda being the stubborn, rude, person he was demanded that they went to a Japanese restaurant so he could have some 'eatable food' as he had called it. Apparently, Kanda was very particular when it came to food. At least that was what Allen thought as Kanda knew what to order before they had even been given the menus.

Allen struggled more, not understand half of what stood in the menu. He had never been to such a fine looking restaurant before and had therefore no idea what was good and what was not. He decided to order the same thing as Kanda, hoping Kanda knew what he was doing.

They sat in silence as they waited. Allen relaxed his hands on the table, leaning his chin on his folded hands, while Kanda sat with his arms crossed. Allen let out a small chuckle when he noticed how stiff Kanda seemed, his back almost completely straight. Kanda shot him a glare.

"What?" He grumbled, annoyed.

"Nothing." Allen denied, but was unable to hide his smile.

Before Kanda was able to say anything that would most probably include 'idiot', 'fuck' or 'Beansprout', the waiter interrupted him as she served them the two dishes. Allen felt relief when he saw that the food looked relatively normal. He looked less certain when the waiter laid a pair of wooden sticks next to the plate of noodles. He had never used things like that before.

"Um, Kanda?"

Kanda looked up at him with the ever present scowl on his face.

"What?"

Allen rubbed his palms together under the table, glancing hungrily at the food before he looked back at Kanda.

"What are these?"

He held the wooden sticks out for Kanda to see, blushing slightly when he noticed the incredulous look Kanda gave him.

"Those are chopsticks, moron."

"And what are…'chopsticks'?"

Allen's embarrassment increased as Kanda smacked his hand against his forehead, muttering an "unbelievable" as he let his hand fall.

"Does cutlery ring a bell in that empty brain of yours?"

Allen glared, clearly offended. "Of course. I do eat, you know."

"That doesn't make you less stupid."

He was about to shoot an insult right back but Kanda beat him to it.

"Chopsticks are used to pick the food off from the plate and into that big thing on your face you call mouth. Now shut up and eat."

Kanda broke the chopsticks apart and picked up a pair of noodles with visible professionalism. He chewed slowly, enjoying the taste, before he swallowed and picked up another pair. His eyes wandered to the other side of the table where the Beansprout was having a few problems. He had broken the sticks apart like Kanda had done, and tried to hold them like Kanda did, but the noodle strings would always slip out of his grip before he had been able to lift his hand away from the plate.

Frustrated, Allen took one stick in each hand and tried to pick the noodles up. His fingers slipped and the chopsticks fell out of his hands and right into the noodles.

He growled and picked them up again, poking the noodles.

Kanda sighed.

"Could this kid have western cutlery?" He said to a passing waiter who nodded and giggled as she saw the way Allen strived to get the food he had lost on the way to his mouth back on the plate. A few moments later, the waiter was back with a spoon and a fork for Allen. The boy blushed and thanked her, to which she smiled.

Kanda vaguely noticed how the boy tried to avoid skin contact with the woman.

Allen started eating vigorously at once after the waiter had left, much to Kanda's disgust. The way the food was almost inhaled was not a pretty sight.

Kanda was halfway done with his when Allen let out a happy sigh and patted his stomach in content. The plate now looked like it had been licked clean, not even a trace of sauce could be seen. Kanda looked at Allen, who smiled as he wiped his lips with a napkin.

"…you eat like a dog."

"Shut it."

---

"Well Kanda, it's been fun, really."

"It better have been, I wasted the whole day on you."

Allen chuckled softly, not taking the offence to heart. They were standing outside Kanda's door as Kanda tried to find his key. He only had four pockets, and yet he always had a hard time finding his keys.

Allen was bobbing up and down on his toes, humming a low and soothing tune as he watched Kanda striving. It was late, around ten in the evening, and it was starting to get colder. After they had eaten, they had walked around town, not really doing anything. They had talked a lot, and though it had taken time to drag it out of him, Allen had learned much about Kanda. He had learned about Kanda's family and how he disliked his foster father and his foster brothers.

He had learned more about Kanda's school, and what Kanda was studying. Allen was impressed when he learned that Kanda lots of scientific subjects like chemistry and physics. He pictured Kanda as a more athletic kind of person (his muscles could easily be seen through his clothes), since, in Allen's eyes, his personality made him seem a bit stupid.

It made him happy, knowing that Kanda didn't detest his company completely and that he had spent his entire day with him. Kanda made him feel warm inside, no matter how strange it sounded, he felt like Kanda lit the fire inside of him that fuelled him and made him feel alive.

He hadn't felt like this since…

He froze.

A person had just entered through the main door and was standing a few feet away from them. His eyes were golden, his hair black and curly, and his skin tanned. It was impossible for Allen not to know who it was.

He looked at Kanda who gave a grunting sound of victory as he pulled his keys up from his pocket.

He looked back at the man, who now was grinning at him. Allen could see the man's mouth starting to move, most likely about to call him, to call him over and to ask him to guide him to his apartment. He could feel sweat between his clenched fingers.

He had to stop him.

"KANDA!" He yelled, a bit higher and shakier then he had intended, but he had no choice. Kanda looked up at him as if he'd gone crazy.

"What the fuck, you don't have to yell, Beansprout."

Allen let out a weak laugh, trying to hide the distress and nervousness from his voice.

And he wondered, when did he start to care about what Kanda thought of him?

"I-I need to go now. I need too…sleep, yeah, sleep. I'm really tired, so I-I'll see you tomorrow right?"

Kanda looked at him, his eyes questioning his mentality, but Allen didn't care. If Kanda knew what he was, and what he was doing, Kanda wouldn't look at him as he was a mad man, he wouldn't want to look at him at all. He only hoped Kanda would still want to hang out with him after this.

Kanda said nothing as he stared at Allen's strained smile. _"Please go, please go, please go-" _Allen chanted over and over as Kanda made no sign of moving. The other man at the entrance was looking at the scene with interest.

"Che, whatever."

Finally Kanda turned and walked into his apartment, smacking the door closed after him.

Allen breathed out heavily. If Kanda had seen them together he would start asking questions. Questions he didn't want to answer, didn't know how to answer.

He looked at the newcomer who had lit up a cigarette and was now smiling mockingly at him.

"Well, well, Allen. I see you've made a friend. That's unusual."

Allen's face was void of emotions. No smile, no frown and no glare. Just like a mask.

"Oya, boy, don't be like that, I'm happy for you."

The man was faster then anyone Allen had ever met before, and he was in front of him at once, making Allen blink in surprise. The man leaned down, his mouth next to Allen's ear.

"Still, you should treat me better you know." He whispered lazily into his ear, Allen had to suppress the shudder that went through him. He had never liked the smell of smoke, and had a certain prejudice against smokers. The man gently cupped his cheek and pushed his face towards his.

"In return, I will treat you more gently." The man's lips were only inches away from his own and within the next few moments, they connected, the man's tongue probing his mouth.

Allen didn't make a sound, nor did he show any emotions. The only thing he did was to guide the older man up the stairs, into his apartment and into the bedroom.

He only hoped Kanda would forgive him.

* * *

**AN:** Well, that's that for now. I used the whole day to write this chapter (since I was sick and home from school), but the last part was written in a hurry, so there might be some grammatical errors now and then (since the throbbing keeps me from thinking straight) . But anyway, is it getting interesting? :D

By the way, there's a poll on my profile(I hope. I'm not sure I did it right ^^"), it would be great if someone voted ^^

**Review? **:3


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It may not seem like it, but Kanda was very proud of his observation skills. Having trained kendo and meditated for many years had made him much more watchful and observant than many. Not many would believe this, because despite being observant, Kanda usually didn't give a damn. But this time, for some reason he didn't really know or understand, he found himself interested.

Who was the guy that had followed the Beansprout into his apartment?

He knew at once that something was off when the kid started to act so weirdly the day before. From seeming like a perfectly normal human being, the Beansprout had gone to a mentally challenged kid in less than five seconds. He knew the boy was unstable, but the only times when he would act like that was when he felt threatened. If so, then why the hell had he let that man into his apartment?

Huffing, Kanda looked at his watch. He had always preferred routines, but now he was suddenly eating breakfast at 11:30. No, it was not because the Beansprout had occupied his thoughts and made it hard for him to sleep. It was simply mental exhaustion, he convinced himself, nothing more.

He swallowed the rest of his water and threw the plate in the tiny dishwasher. He walked over to the small kitchen window and looked outside. It was sunny and clear, not a single cloud could be seen. Typical, that whenever he felt grumpy there would always be good weather.

He didn't feel like doing anything special today. He had to go grocery shopping, but that was the only thing he had to do outside of his apartment. The rest of the day he would probably just bore himself to death by staying home doing nothing. What a perfect day this would be.

---

"Give it back!"

"Scram!"

"You bastard, give us the ball!"

"Watch your dirty little mouth, brat. Didn't your mother ever teach you to respect your elders?"

He held the ball securely high above his head where the annoying brats couldn't reach it. How the hell they could think that he would just give the ball back just like that when they had been the one to hit him in the first place was a mystery to Kanda. He was on the verge to kick them off him. The way they were jumping up and down in front of him while trying to grab the ball was starting to drive him insane.

"We only hit you once. Are you such a wimp you can't even handle that?"

"Yeah, wimp!"

That was the last straw for Kanda, those kids had no fucking idea who they were talking too, and it seemed like he had to teach them some manners.

"I'm not sure I heard what you said, retard." He growled at the boy, whose hair was tied into two strange-looking pony tales. With that headband, he almost reminded him of Lavi.

Kanda twitched.

He pulled out a pocketknife and held it threateningly close to the leather ball, his eyes glinting evilly. He saw the annoying kids gasp and look wide-eyed at him. He smirked in victory, there was no way the little devils would risk doing or saying anything when he held their precious ball hostage.

"Now, if you could repeat it I would be very grateful."

"Y-you're not allowed to do that."

"I'm not? I've never heard there were laws against it, brat."

"We'll tell mom!"

Kanda snorted, he would have laughed had not his pride stopped him from doing such horrible things.

"Go tell your _momma_, kiddo, she won't help you."

The by now far too irritating boy stomped his foot in the ground as his hands clenched and un-clenched at his sides. The boy next to him was looking from Kanda and back to his friend with a worried look on his face.

"Wh-what do we have to do to get it back?!"

Dark eyes narrowed, a cruel smile forming on his lips.

"Beg!"

The boys looked at him with surprise. The one with the weird hair looked even angrier than he had done, to Kanda's amusement. If he was one with 'pride', then this would be much more satisfying than he predicted.

"BEG?! We won't BEG you, you bastard!"

Kanda shrugged with clear indifference.

"Fine by me."

He raised his hand up, ready to stab a hole in the cause of all his grumpiness.

"NO!"

"PLEASE!!"

"Kanda?"

His hand stopped, only centimetres from the ball in his hands as he looked towards the owner of the voice who had called his name. He saw Allen standing on the pavement looking at him with a slight surprised expression. Kanda huffed as he started walking towards him.

"Kanda, what are you doing?"

"None of yo-"

"He's stealing our ball."

"He was going to put a hole in it."

Allen looked at the kids pointing with all their might at Kanda, who stubbornly looked the other way as he tried to ignore them.

He had no idea if he was going to start laughing at Kanda for acting so childish, or keep a straight face, act mature and scold Kanda for bothering kids he didn't know. He choose the latter, thinking that Kanda would clearly not like him laughing of him.

"Kanda, give them the ball back."

"No."

Allen looked dumbfounded at him, not knowing how to treat the overgrown kid Kanda obviously were.

"Kanda, it's their ball, if you want one go buy one."

"I don't **want** one, stupid. They hit me with it, this is their punishment."

"It was an **accident**, AC-CI-DENT! Get over it!"

"Don't tell me to get over it you little brat, you're the one who should **grow up** and-"

"Whoa-woa, hold it **right. there** gentlemen." Allen interrupted. If he stood by and watched only a few seconds more, he was sure they would be at each other's throat in no time. He would have to settle this like any normal adult would: with reason.

"Now, since I have heard you quarrel for some time now I think I know exactly what happened."

He stole a look at the 'younglings' before he continued.

"The way I see it, you boys-" He pointed at the two kids who looked at him expectantly, "-you owe this, _cogh,_ man-" He gestured to Kanda who scowled at him, "-an apology."

There was immediate protest, which he had expected. Kanda whoever, looked rather smug.

"I'm not finished." He interrupted again.

"They have to apologize, and you Kanda, have to apologize too and give them their ball back. Now, get started."

And just like that, the roles were reversed. The kids were smiling like the small innocent angels they were, and Kanda looked pissed.

"Apologize?! Why the fu-I mean, why the _heck_ do I have to apologize when they started it?"

He pointed accusingly at the small devils in sheep clothing, definitively not liking the disgustingly annoying smiles on their faces. Allen coughed, for some reason his cheeks were starting to turn red and Kanda had no idea why.

"Kanda, it can't be that hard, just get it over with."

Grumbling incoherently, he sent glares to the small devils and the newly approached, self-appointed saint.

He had known all along, a sunny day was never a good day for Kanda Yu.

---

"Wait Kanda, please slow down."

He didn't slow down. That stupid Beansprout ought to learn how to mind his own business.

"Kanda, you know it was the right thing to do, you should be happy, not grumpy."

Oh, so doing the right thing always made people happy? Jesus, if that was what the Beansprout thought, then he was more delusional then Kanda had ever thought him to be, and that says a lot.

He stopped abruptly, causing Allen to run straight into his back. A low moan of pain followed before Kanda turned around and glared at him.

"It was none of your freaking business, stupid Beansprout. I could have handled everything if you hadn't just suddenly decided to crash the party. Thos little devils deserved what was coming to them."

The younger boy was rubbing his nose gently, having hurt it when he crashed into Kanda. His clear gray eyes met Kanda's for a moment, before he broke down in laughter, his small body shaking. It was hard for Kanda to hide the shock of seeing the boy laugh so openly when he had ever barely seen him smile before. Hell, it was as if he would suddenly switch to happy mode and start giving out flowers to random passerby's. Or, that was maybe dragging things a bit too far.

"Beansprout, why the hell are you laughing?"

The boy shook his head as a sign that he was not able to answer at the moment. His shoulders were still shaking, and his breath was ragged with laughter. Kanda waited for him to finish while he glared holes through his back.

"I-it's just, you were acting so much, like a kid, back there."

Allen said between his breaths. He straightened himself up and tried to look at Kanda seriously, which he failed at gloriously and therefore managed to annoy Kanda even further.

"Shut up, I had every right to do it. They fucking kicked the ball right in my fucking back head. It was obviously on purpose, which means they deserved it more than they deserve education."

Sighing, Allen shook his head, though his smile was ever present.

"Oh Kanda, precious, they didn't _mean _to hit you. They are kids, Kanda, they aren't clever enough to think of such a genius plan."

Allen snorted to hide his laughter, and Kanda leered at him.

"You're mocking me, aren't you? And don't call me _precious._" He shivered.

"Me? No, of course not."

"You're taking their side."

Allen stopped chuckling, gazing at him with a strange look in his eyes.

"Kaaandaa…" The way he took his time saying his name like that, made Kanda almost take a step back. His eyes suddenly turned into two innocent-looking light bulbs, shining at him with such light Kanda squinted to avoid it.

"Are you mad because I took their side?"

Hell, no.

"Why the **fuck **would you think that?! I don't give a damn what you think."

Despite trying to hide it, he could feel heat rising to his cheeks and he turned quickly not to let the Beansprout know. There was no way he cared if the Beansprout took his side or the annoying, little drama queens'. He had nothing to do with it in the first place, this was between him and the devil's minions.

He tried to block it out, but it was impossible to ignore the stifled laughter that came from behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the Beansprout clutching his stomach with one hand, and the other covering his mouth to stifle his laughter. Hell, how annoying.

"Wait, Kanda, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh."

"'_didn't mean to laugh_' my ass, if you didn't mean to, then you wouldn't have laughed. Now leave me the fuck alone, your presence annoys me."

The laughter stopped almost immediately, and the footsteps behind him along with it. He turned around to see what had caused the sudden silence, and saw the Beansprout standing in the middle of the pavement with his eyes looking straight at him. The only difference was that they had almost completely lost the shine they had had only a few seconds ago. His shoulders had slumped against his body, and the hand that had been reaching for him was steadily sinking. Suddenly he seemed so much smaller, Kanda thought.

"Beansprout" He tried, but the boy didn't seem to hear him. If he had had any patience then Kanda would have waited to see what would happen, but since barely _knew _the word patient (by chance having discovered it once in a dictionary) Kanda went over and punched the boy, although a bit softer than usual, in the shoulder.

"Wake up, stupid. If you get hit by a car because you're zoning out and too small to be seen, I won't save your sorry ass."

That seemed to get the kid out of his stupor as he winced at the hit he had received.

"…"

He rubbed his shoulder meekly, meeting Kanda's eyes as he looked a bit insecure. Kanda had no idea what was going through that small brain of his, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know either. The boy started laughing timidly, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, I think-I think I'll just go home."

Kanda blinked, before he frowned.

"What the hell did you come out here for then?"

The boy looked up at him in confusion, before realisation struck him, reminding him why he had gone out.

"I finally have money." He exclaimed with a hint of a smile on his face, already a bit happier then he was just a few moments ago. "And I was on my way to restock that nearly empty fridge of mine. Looking back, I can't believe I survived at all, haha!"

He grunted, "Then why would you go back without having bought anything? Stupid. Not that I actually care about what you do on your spare time."

"Why, thank you!" Was the curt, sarcastic answer.

A short moment of silence erupted, but finding the silence a bit uncomfortable, Allen decided to break it.

"Um, so…why are you here?"

Kanda raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean why you're _here, _I meant, why are you _here_? As in _out _here, in town, outside-"

"I got it I got it! Christ, kid."

Allen shut his mouth with a snap, nodding, an awkward wind blew between them.

"I need to restock."

Allen looked up. "Oh."

"Then, shall we go together?"

Kanda mumbled something, Allen couldn't even distinct words.

"Uhm…"

"Do what you want!" Kanda snapped, turning around stiffly before he started walking. He had used much time on only talking and quarrelling with the Beansprout, he was sure he would be late. Not that he had anything to do when he came home, but it still felt like he had used too much time. He could hear the boy's footsteps coming closer to him from behind, and he could almost feel the boy's smile in the back of his neck.

Maybe it was worth it anyway.

---

He stumbled through the door as he held his shoulder tightly. His vision was blurry, making it hard for him to see where he was going. His mind was spinning slightly, but he didn't feel sick or nauseas. The only thing he could smell was the metallic smell of blood, though the blood was no where near his face. He looked at his shoulder. The blood was spreading fast, if he didn't stop it soon he would most likely fall unconscious soon, and then die from blood loss.

In the end, he hadn't been able to carry the bags of grocery home, but he had refused to go to the hospital. He eyed the couch and felt the need to lie down, but before he could even reach the couch, he fell. Expecting that his body met the cold floor, he was surprised when small, warm hands caught him and steadied him. He looked to his side and could barely distinguish the form of Allen next to him.

"Go away, Beansprout. Go home."

He pushed himself away from Allen's hold and fell down on the couch, breathing out heavily. He brushed the bangs away from his face, the wet hair annoying him the way it was sticking to his skin. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He would have to cleanse the wound and bandage it to avoid getting it infected.

Damn, how could he have been so careless?

A cold, wet cloth suddenly covered his eyes, but instead of enjoying the coldness it provided, he lifted it up to take a look at the one who had laid it there.

"Beansprout, I told you to go-"

"Shut up!"

If hid body had had the strength, it would have twitched at the shrill sound of the boy's voice. He looked at the boy through lidded eyes, trying the best he could to make a glare that would get his message through.

"What did you say?" He bit out. His shoulder was starting to ache.

A hand touched his forehead, cooling the heated skin. The hand was so soft it was almost as if it was made of cloth. The hand rested there for a moment, a moment too short in Kanda's opinion, before it moved from his forehead and to his shoulder, hesitating before it started to remove the torn shirt. He heard a sharp intake of breath right before something touched the bleeding wound. He clenched his jaw tight not to let any sound get out. His whole body was tense, almost making everything hurt more. Then the Beansprout spoke to him again, the soft voice alone soothing him more then he would admit.

"Relax Kanda, it'll be alright."

He snorted, but relaxed slightly.

"I'm not some kid, Moyashi, I don't need reassurance."

"I know you aren't, and I know you already know you'll be alright, but everything seems more real when someone tells it to you, doesn't it? And it does make you feel better....and what's a Moyashi?"

He closed his eyes, choosing to ignore the questions. He could feel another wet cloth touching his shoulder, gently washing away the blood. It was removed, but returned a few seconds later, this time directly on the open wound. His whole body jerked at the sudden burning sensation the liquid had given him, but a hand grabbed his shoulder and held him still.

"Easy, Kanda, you'll only hurt yourself."

He hadn't noticed before, the blood loss making him think incoherent thoughts, but suddenly he did. The hand supporting him and the hand cleaning his wound was steady, not shivering the slightest, but there was a slight wavering in the boy's voice, as if he was trying his hardest to keep his emotions hidden and to stay focused.

He sighed.

"Why are you crying?"

The hands paused in their movements, but started up again soon in the same tempo as if they hadn't been interrupted at all.

"I'm not crying."

He sighed again.

"But you want to." He stated, not opening his eyes to see the kid's expression. He wasn't angry, or annoyed by that fact. Right now, he was just tired. If the kid needed to cry, then hell if he was going to stop him, he simply didn't have the strength to.

The hands didn't stop this time, but after a few moments he could hear sobs and small whimpers.

He was barely conscious when he felt something being taped on his shoulder, and a weight on his other shoulder. Wrapping his arm around what he assumed was the kid's shoulders, he welcomed the darkness.

* * *

**AN: **Muahaha, I bet you're all wondering what the hell just happened D But fear not, it's no supernatural phenomenon like a sudden UFO attack or Kanda suddenly growing a third arm, it's simply bad luck. Like always. Anyway, sorry for the delay. I've had this chapter in a nearly-finished state for some time now. Reason: my friend's father, that happens to be a math teacher, is helping me prepare for the all-day math test next week. I have to do really good on this one, or I fear my grade will be depressingly low. This means, the next chapter will probably be a bit late too, but I promise it'll be up before the end of May.

I've also done a bit of thinking: I think I want to have a **Beta reader**. One that can help me with my grammar, give me advice on how to formulate my sentences, and come with helpful propositions when my imagination takes a break.

If you're interested and know you can help me with everything I stated above, please send me a PM and we'll discuss it :)

And last but not least: **Review? :3**


	7. Chapter 6

**Warnings for this chapter: **Most probably a lot of typos (because I'm in a wee bit of a hurry)

**Disclaimer: **I disclaim the -Man characters

**Chapter 6**

His feet were cold, that was the first thing he noticed. His whole body was warm, his arms, his torso, his fingers. But his feet were cold, causing him to groan in annoyance. He was too comfortable to wake up now. The feel of soft cushions underneath him, a warm blanket covering him and something warm and solid leaning on his right arm. No aching wound….

Crap!

He groaned again in exasperation, suddenly starting to be painfully aware of his wound on his shoulder. Why couldn't it just _quit _hurting and let him go back to sleep? He wasn't sure how long he had slept, but by the way his eyes didn't want to open no matter how much he tried, it couldn't have been many hours. He tried to lift his left hand and rub his eyes, but was stopped by that solid something he remembered having noticed a few moments ago. He looked down, his eyes barely open, at a sleeping white-haired 16-year old who was using his arm as his pillow. He was facing him, chin pressed against his bicep, and that was when he noticed that his arm was draped around the boy's shoulders.

Frowning, Kanda wondered how the hell they had ended up in this position. Trying to ignore the warm feeling that spread through him as he felt the boy moving against him, Kanda tried to nudge the kid awake.

"Beansprout, wake up now! I can't feel my arm."

The boy seemed to mumble something incoherent, but didn't move away. Instead he lifted his head up a few inches, moved it a few centimetres closer to Kanda's face and sighed in contentment and going back to sleep.

An unknown emotion fluttered in his chest as he saw how close the kid's face was with his. A warmth started to spread on his cheeks, but he tried his best to ignore it. There was no way in hell he was blushing over a 13 year old. He was a bastard because of his temper, but he was definitely no paedophile.

"Wake the fuck up Beansprout. I'm not your fucking pillow."

Without any warning, Allen's head bumped against the edge of the couch as he pulled his hand away from underneath it. It caused Kanda to wince in pain because of the harsh movement, but at least that would help take his thoughts off the idiot Beansprout.

Like an alarm had just sounded, Allen's head shot up with a bewildered look on his face.

"What, where?"

Kanda made a grimace to the stupid questions, ignoring the confused look on the boy's face.

"You were sleeping on me, idiot, and I'm pretty sure you've drooled on me sometime during the night. Ugh, I need a shower."

"Hey!" Allen exclaimed, offended. "I don't drool"

"Yeah, whatever."

He tried to sit up with the help of his elbows, but the pain that soared through his left shoulder was almost enough to make him yell in pain. He gritted his teeth together as he continued to lift himself. A pair of arms helped to steady him and he was finally able to lean his back on the back of the couch. He sighed angrily, hating the fact that he was being treated like a handicapped person.

An accusing voice reached his ears before he could think another thought.

"Kanda, don't push yourself too hard, your body is weak and need rest. Denying it won't make it disappear."

Small hands were now on his chest, starting to remove the bandage while touching the sore area around the wound. Allen leant closer to him and put his arm behind his back to push him away from the couch so he could remove the bandage. Kanda pushed the hands away roughly, glaring at Allen as he leaned forward himself.

The boy looked a bit surprised, but instead of questioning his actions he accepted them instead.

"Thank you!" The boy said, something that confused Kanda.

"For what?"

Allen raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. "For leaning forward so I can help you, stupid."

He turned his head away stubbornly, choosing not to say that he had absolutely no reason to thank him. He was after all the one who was helping him, **he** was the one who should say thank you. But of course he would never say that. It was better if the Beansprout didn't expect any thank you from him.

"This…really looks bad, Kanda."

Kanda blinked, returning to reality, and looked down at his shoulder. There was a small, round and dark hole right beneath his shoulder, the pink skin around it clearly showing that there had been blood there once that had been washed away. He gave it a light touch that didn't seem to cause him any pain at all.

"Hn, it's okay. It went straight through, the wound will heal."

Allen bit his lip, looking troubled.

"You were shot, Kanda. Who knows if it will get infected or if not. You should go to the hospital and get it checked."

"It will heal beansprout. There's no fucking need to go to the hospital when all they can do is to tell me what I already know. Why the fuck are you in my apartment anyway?"

A finger stabbed him right beneath the wound, making him inhale sharply.

"What the fuck are you-"

"I was the one who helped you when you almost tripped because of blood loss. I was the one who cleansed your wound and bandaged it, I was the one who draped that blanket over you, and you ask me why I'm in your apartment? Has your brain failed you completely? Idiot, now stay still so I can cleanse your wound."

A moment of silence passed between them, it seemed like their relationship consisted of lots of awkward moments.

"There!" Allen exclaimed happily as he patted the bandaged shoulder affectionately, as if it was a dog that had just rolled over and pleased its master. Kanda looked down on his shoulder to see it neatly bandaged with no blood stains visible. His shoulder felt sore, and moving it would send small jolts of pain through his body, but it was much better then yesterday.

He shrugged the blanket off of him and moved to stand. Allen stood up with him, ready to help, but refrained from touching him.

He made his way to the kitchen though his shoulder protesting against his every move. He didn't care if it hurt; he wouldn't throw away time being handicapped. Besides he was rather hungry.

Allen, who had followed him in, now stood next to one of the kitchen chairs, expecting Kanda to sit down. Kanda glowered at him, making his way over to the refrigerator. He saw that everything he had bought the day before had been stocked perfectly in his fridge. He wondered when the kid had the time to do that, but didn't bother asking.

He took out a bottle of ice cold water and two eggs. He took out the fresh bread he had bought yesterday (though it wasn't exactly fresh anymore) and cut two slices before he roasted the eggs on both sides before he threw them on top of the slices of bread. The whole time, Allen didn't say a thing. Kanda looked over his shoulder and at the boy who was shifting his eyes between the food and the window.

"If you're hungry Beansprout, then ask."

He found it amusing, albeit a bit annoying, that he had to say this out loud to make the boy understand. Allen's eyes blinked as they locked with his. The boy then started to shake his head at him.

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'll go eat afterwards. I'm just here to see if you'll be okay." He smiled.

"Don't talk shit, eat!" His tone was final, and his command so clear Allen didn't dare deny him when the plate with a hot roasted egg and bread was put in front of him. Well, also partly because he was so hungry his stomach would probably kill him for denying such a glorious meal.

Without hesitation, the boy started to munch down the food, not bothering to use his cutlery at all. Kanda, who already knew of the boy's eating habits but had completely forgotten them, had to look away to be able to eat his own.

A moment and a content sigh later, Allen held his stomach with his hand as a small smile grazed his lips.

"Thank you Kanda, that was absolutely delicious."

Allen flashed him a smile, and all of a sudden Kanda was reminded of what had happed last night. When he had acted so weird and pushed him away before letting that unknown man into his apartment. He didn't know why, but it irritated him that the Beansprout had pushed him aside to make way for that fucking man he didn't know who was.

"Where is that guy?"

Allen looked at him, his smile faltering.

"What guy?"

"That bastard that followed you upstairs two days ago, Beansprout. The guy you tried to hide from me by lying to me that you were tired and needed sleep."

And just like that, the boy's smile was gone. The eyes seemed to get a few degrees colder, but unlike before when they had been void with emotions, Kanda could now see sadness in them. But right now he was angry enough not to care. Anger he just couldn't seem to get rid off. A scowl formed on the boy's face as he looked away from Kanda.

"I saw you two Beansprout, so don't try to fucking ignore me."

Allen bit his lip, stuck between being angry or sad. Kanda had seen him, when he hadn't wanted him to, Kanda had seen him. He didn't want Kanda to be suspicious of him, that's why he had tried to hide the man from Kanda. But it seemed he had failed, and now the seed was already laid. The seed of doubt.

"How…" he started, his voice barely above whisper. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"How did you know?"

Kanda stood up abruptly, turning away from him as he started filling two glasses with water.

"I saw you, idiot. Now spill it!"

Allen swallowed loudly. "It was nothing important. I…had something I had to return to him, something I had borrowed. That's why he came to me two days ago to get it back. Why would you…be interested in that?"

Kanda didn't know how to answer that. In fact, he didn't even know why he wanted to know in the first place. What the heck was going on in his mind lately?

"I'm not." He mumbled sitting back down as he sat the two glasses on the table. He was barely aware of the pain in his left shoulder as he stared intently at the boy who in return was staring right back.

"You mean you interrogated me, even though you weren't really interested? Now that's original."

"Shut up, I only asked you a question, you didn't have to answer."

"I didn't have to answer? Excuse me, but when was the last time someone told you to 'spill it' without thinking of it as a threat?"

"I wasn't threatening you, you fucking kid. If you can't take someone talking you to, then you're a fucking sissy."

"**Talking **to me? You weren't **talking **to me, you were **yelling **at me. There's a difference, bastard. Even someone like **you **should know that."

"Someone like me? You mean someone like me who saved your **fucking life** yesterday?"

"You didn't need to jump in front of me, Kanda. The shot would most likely not have hit me anyway, since I'm not that tall."

At this Kanda could feel his temper flare. Did that fucking brat mean to say that what he had done was completely unnecessary? He slammed his fist in the table as he stood up, causing the glasses to slide closer to the edge.

"You ungrateful little **pest**. I SAVED YOUR FUCKING LIFE, WEATHER YOU WANTED IT OR NOT. I HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD A FUCKING 'THANK YOU'!!"

"TALKING ABOUT 'THANK YOUS', I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY HEARD ONE FOR SAVING **YOUR** LIFE. THE WAY YOU BLED WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU IF IT WASN'T FOR ME! AND I DIDN'T ASK **YOU** TO SAVE **ME** EITHER, SO IF THERE'S A 'THANK YOU' YOU WANT, THEN YOU CAN JUST FORGET IT!! JERK!!"

Allen stood up too with his fists clenched at his sides. But on his way up his body bumped into the table and sending the glasses crashing down towards the floor. She sound of shattering glass stopped them both from continuing their fight as they both looked down at the damage done. They both bowed down to pick up the shards, but as their hands touched they both pulled away.

They didn't look at each other, the heat of their argument still burning in their minds.

"Get out!"

Blinking, the boy looked up at him with wide eyes as his body stiffened. Hadn't he heard him?

"I said get. **out, **Beansprout."

He turned away without a look at the boy and started to clean up the plates they had used. In need of something to take his mind off what just had happened. This was just like the first time they had met. Their different personalities had clashed, causing both one of them to turn away. What annoyed him the most, was that he hadn't even expected an apology from the kid in the first place. Hell, he couldn't even remember how he had been able to drag it into the conversation at all.

When he turned around to pick up the shards, Allen was gone.

* * *

**AN:** As you guys probably noticed, this chapter is a bit shorter then the others. Reason: ... making it longer just seemed wrong. But in return, the next chapter will be a bit longer then normal, 'kay? ^^

I'm in a hurry to get this uploaded now, so I won't babble as much as I usually do. I'm going to bed *yawns* and tomorrow I'm going to write on that one shot I've been trying to finish for nearly a month now. Maybe I'll get it done by the weekend.

**Review to help me keep going? :3**


	8. Chapter 7

**Warning: **There might be some typos here and there (as usual), and a few grammar mistakes. (It makes me want a beta "sniff") Child abuse, etc.

**Chapter 7**

It had been three days since they had talked. After their quarrel Allen had only seen Kanda once when he had exited his apartment. The only recognition he had gotten was a glance in his direction, and a small 'huff', before Kanda had walked out the main entrance. Nothing that indicated that they only a few days earlier had gone to a circus together, had dinner together, and talked together like friends. The only thing that could ever point to their earlier 'friendship' was that Kanda was obviously ignoring him, and for a reason. A reason Allen didn't quite understand.

They had quarrelled, yes, but it was the kind of quarrel that was supposed to be forgotten the next day. At least, that was what it had been in Allen's eyes. But this was Kanda. One never knew how long he would stay mad, and when he would finally realize that what they were doing was childish, and get over it. Still, Allen knew how childish Kanda could be, and knew that he would have to take the first step if he wanted the situation to change. He just didn't know how he was supposed to talk to Kanda. He had only seen him once, and he had barely had any time to registrate Kanda's presence before he was gone. Whenever he tried to knock on his door, no one would answer, no matter what time a day he tried.

He was restless. No matter what he did, his mind would wander back to his neighbour and their confusing situation. Whenever he decided to take a walk, he would think of the day when he met Kanda and they went grocery shopping. Whenever he walked through the door and into the hallway in the apartment building, he would shoot glances at the first door to his left, the door to Kanda's apartment. Heck, even when he walked into his own apartment, he would think of the bloody idiot that lived underneath him because of their completely identical apartments. Really, why did that bastard have to be so stubborn and ignore him, instead of talking about it with him?

Fisting his hair, he pulled, though not enough to cause any pain. That man frustrated him so.

"Damn you, Kanda!" He half yelled, letting his frustration out. His outburst caused many people to turn and stare at him, stopping mid-sentence in the conversations they were having just to get a look at the weirdo who had interrupted them. He finally became aware of the fact that he was in the middle of a crowded street, and started walking hurriedly to avoid the gazes that followed him when he did.

Really, what kind of sane person suddenly blurted out random things in the middle of the street?

He blushed and looked down at his feet and let his hair fall and cover his face. He hated to be the centre of attention among people he didn't know. Not knowing what they were thinking, even though he could probably imagine what. It was what made it hard for him to meet new people, and get friends. Whenever people would look at him, it felt as if they could see right through him. See what he was. And therefore automatically detest him and avoid him.

No, he had never liked meeting people he didn't know, also meaning people his own age.

He couldn't remember the last time he had actually talked to someone of the same age as him. Or, there was one time when a boy had talked to him, asking him if he had seen a girl with short, light brown hair. Something which he hadn't, which had caused the boy to curse and run past him, not sparing him another look. Besides that, one could say that he was pretty clueless when it came to friends.

But then he had met Kanda. It would be wrong to say that Kanda was completely different from all the other young people he had met, since he knew that if they hadn't met a second time, there was no way they would ever have gotten this far. But still, he had gotten to know Kanda. Kanda had even been able to drag him out of the facade he had been hiding behind for the last months. Had made him angry, frustrated, offended...and happy. Why couldn't Kanda realize that he was grateful? Even though he didn't say it directly?

He came to a halt and looked around.

"I don't...remember this place." He said out loud to no one in particular. He had been so lost in thoughts he had forgotten that he actually was heading somewhere, and that 'somewhere' was no where in sight where he stood now. He didn't recognise the street name or the buildings in this area. It wasn't until now that he had noticed that there were no people around him anymore, and that he had entered a housing estate. No wonder it had suddenly gotten so quiet.

Almost wanting to bang his head into one of the street lamps to punish himself for his horrible sense of direction, he grimaced at the houses around him. How far away from the main street had he gotten? He hadn't been wandering for that long, had he?

He pulled his hair for the second time that day as small groans made their way through his teeth. He had no idea how he was supposed to get back now. The first thing he thought of was to just turn and follow the way he had come from, and he did just that. But when he came to a corner and looked down the _side road _it didn't help him one bit. Nothing looked familiar to him. He didn't remember which turns he had taken.

"Nooo.."

He had never been one to whine, but he felt really lost at the moment, and he had no way to contact anyone he knew that could help him either. He could almost feel a heavy cloud right above his head, watering him.

"Aren't you Kanda's neighbour?"

His gloomy mood snapped out of the rain cloud and back to earth as he heard the question. He turned to see Kanda's friend, the red-haired man who had insulted his masculinity the other day, with a bag that was carelessly resting on his shoulder. Allen didn't know if meeting this guy made him happy or more annoyed, but it did give him hopes of getting out of this maze.

"...yes."

A smile lit up on the red-head's face even before he answered and he walked up to him, his closeness causing Allen to take a step back.

"I knew it, I recognised the hair." He laughed, and pointed at his own hair to emphasize his point. Allen didn't make any indication that he knew the guy, still feeling a bit offended since the last time they met.

"What are you doing here? Don't you live on the other side of town?"

"I..." He wondered if he was going to tell the truth or make up a quick lie that would save him the humiliation. "I'm lost." His said before he could even think of anything else. He cursed himself in his mind as the red-head chuckled, trying to hold the laughs in. He had never been good at making up, and telling lies.

"Well then, I guess I have to show you the way then, don't I, Beansprout?"

Allen perked up at the nickname, for once not getting angry by it's use, rather feeling genuinely surprise that this man knew of it at all.

"How do you know about that?"

The man in front of him blinked. Maybe he had taken it for granted that he had only talked to Allen once before, and that he then had called him 'miss', and not 'Beansprout'. The boy grinned at him, his eye glinting with mischief.

"Why, from Yu-chan of course. He talks about you all the time you know. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was in love with you."

Allen looked dumfounded as a small blush started forming in his cheeks.

"Yu...-chan?" He muttered, not knowing who he meant, though he had a feeling.

"Oh, that's right, you call him Kanda. I always forget he threatens to kill you if you call him Yu."

Face palming himself, the man didn't look like he actually meant what he said. That he was actually well aware of Kanda's strange habit of threatening people to death if they called him by his first name. Allen, who had never heard the name before, had to chuckle. 'Yu' was indeed something uncommon to call a child. That was most probably the reason why Kanda disliked people using it. Not that Allen understood that. Even though it was uncommon (and a tad bit funny, he admitted), a stoic person like Kanda shouldn't have any problem with people calling him that. But then again, Kanda's personality was a mystery to him, something he supposed it would continue being for a long time.

"So, shall I show you the way to the main street or do you want to continue daydreaming?"

His clouded vision came back into focus as the voice called him. He could feel heat starting to burn his cheeks again as he looked away in emerrassment.

"Y-yes please."

The red-head grinned again, and Allen wondered how his face still looked so smooth despite being stretched like that all the time.

"The name's Lavi by the way. Care to tell me yours? Yu-chan always calls you 'Beansprout' when he talks about you, but I doubt that's your real name."

Normally he would have gotten annoyed by that sort of joke, but he found that the part of information he had gotten was much more interesting.

"I'm Allen, and what do you mean 'when he talks about you'? Does Kanda...talk much about me?"

He would never even had considered that possibility if this man hadn't mentioned it. He thought that Kanda would most likely try to forget or ignore him as much as he could, which of course also meant that he would think as little as he could of him when Allen wasn't there with him. Or maybe he was just complaining to Lavi how annoying he was, and how much he hated him.

"Yeah, well, most of the time it goes like this; 'I met that fucking Beansprout today. He looked as fucked-up as always', or something similar."

He couldn't have been more right. That stupid idiot.

"Now, it's normal of Yu to come bitching to me, but I'm totally convinced that there is something more when it comes to you-in here."

Lavi took hold of his left arm and pulled him harshly into a smaller street which made Allen stumble and almost trip, if it hadn't been for the hard grip Lavi had on his arm. Lavi let go once he had found his balance, and they continued to walk.

«'Something more'?» He asked, wanting to know what Lavi really had meant with that statement.

Lavi looked at him. "Wha? Oh, right. Well it's just that, whenever we talk, he always manages to bring you into the conversation. Kinda makes me think he's in love, you know?"

"I-in love?"

Allen would have laughed had it not been for the 'not joking' look on Lavi's face as he said it. Allen could never picture Kanda being nice to anyone, much less in love. And if Kanda ever were to fall in love (Allen was really looking forward to that day), then it would definitively not be for a guy.

He let out a chuckle coated with too much sarcasm. "There's no way Kanda would be in love, much less in someone like me. I mean, by the way he acts I doubt he even like me. You know, like normal 'like'. So why you would think that Lavi, I have no idea."

Lavi shot him a look, but didn't join in his laughter. He just shrugged, as if he didn't really know what to believe.

"I've known Yu since we were kids, and I've never seen him that, well, hung up, on someone. He may not love you, but he sure as hell doesn't dislike you."

Allen had no answer to that. He had only known Kanda for a few weeks, and didn't really know anything about Kanda's past, or how he acted around other people. Except for those two kids he was bullying the other day, but that was his childish side. He didn't really know how he acted when he was together with friends, and what was normal for him or not. So, could it be that Lavi was right? That Kanda had, in some way, ended up interested in him?

No.

No way. That was simply impossible. It was Kanda they were talking about here. The guy who threatened to beat him up when they had barely just met, and who had thrown him out of his apartment right after he had nursed him and cleaned his wound. He hadn't known Kanda for that long, but he did know him well enough to say that there was no chance that Kanda would ever be gay.

Lavi being serious or not, there was no way he could believe that. Though, maybe it was true that Kanda didn't dislike him?

"Hmp.."

Having spaced out again, he didn't notice that Lavi had put his hand right in front of his face and he had walked straight into it. He looked angrily at Lavi, who was having a hard time to keep from laughing, as he rubbed his nose.

"What did you do that for?"

Lavi only grinned in return and pointed in front of him.

"We're back on the main street, baby."

And that they were. As it seemed, he hadn't wandered far. At least not as far as he thought he had. He knew where he was now, and how to get home. He let out a long sigh, matching the revealed expression on his face.

"Thank you Lavi, really."

Lavi grinned in return and would have ruffled Allen's hair, had he not moved out of the way.

"No problem, little guy. So, are you going home now?"

"No" Allen shook his head. "I need to do some shopping, why?"

"I was thinking of visiting Yu-chan, and since you two live in the same building I thought I might tag along with you."

Allen didn't know if he was surprised by the fact that Lavi actually seemed to enjoy his company, or the fact that he didn't seem to mind Lavi's.

"You can come with me if you want. I'm only going to buy some groceries, it'll be quick."

Lavi 'hmm'ed as he looked around before he flashed Allen the smile that only Lavi could make.

"Sweet."

---

He had tried to avoid the kid as much as possible. After their fight he had barely spent any time in his apartment, thinking that the boy would most likely try to visit him. He didn't have the slightest clue to why he wanted to avoid talking to the kid. His only reason was that whenever he thought about him, he would get this strange feeling in his gut that he had no idea what meant, and when he thought about meeting the kid face to face, that feeling got stronger. He didn't even remember when this had started, but he knew that it was after he had thrown the kid out of his apartment.

At first he thought it was guilt, and had just brushed it off. But the more he had thought about it, the less sense it made to him. The feeling never completely faded.

How was he supposed to train and meditate when whenever he tried to clear his mind a picture of that fucking kid would pop up in his mind?

Even now, as he was walking down the main street in town, he couldn't get his thoughts away from that brat. His original plan was to go to the Wal-Mart, but even that made him think about things he wanted to forget. Really, he just wanted to get rid of that feeling, and something told him that he would have to meet up with that Beansprout again to do that.

Perhaps he was going to knock on the kid's door later that day and ask-was that him there?

Kanda blinked. He had just pictured the boy in his head, but he could have sworn that he had seen a mop of white hair right at the same moment. He looked at the crowd where he knew he had seen it, and confirmed his suspicion. At the other side of the street was that mop of white hair that he loved to hate. Together with...was that the bastard Lavi? Hell, it was. What the fuck was he doing together with that damn Beansprout? Did they know each other that well? Was there something going on between them that he had missed?

He made a displeased sound as he watched the pair continue down the street, most likely on their way home to the kid's apartment. For some reason he couldn't explain he felt rage, and was it jealousy?, bubble in his chest as he watched them laughing together at some joke. The thought of that redhead being able to talk so freely with the kid when he couldn't was enough to make him want to deck that annoying redhead's face. What right did he have to talk to the Beansprout?

It took a while before he realized what he had just thought, and nearly face palmed himself for even touching a topic like that. Fuck, the brat wasn't his responsibility, and if he and the redhead wanted to hang out then hell if he cared. If they wanted to be BFFs then that wasn't his problem, and if they wanted to be gay for each other, he wouldn't mind. At least, that was what he was trying to convince himself of.

The feeling in his gut told a different story.

---

"_Some _groceries?"

Allen looked up from what he was doing to look questionably at Lavi. He had just gotten home from their little trip to town and were now standing outside the apartment building where he lived. Lavi, who had claimed he wanted to see Kanda and had followed him home, was no longer as empty handed as he had been when they had coincidentally met a few hours ago. When they had shopped, there was a lot of things Allen had discovered that he needed, like candles, cinnamon, frozen chicken breasts, iced coffee and sugar. Meaning that he had bought a bit more than he had planned. A bit more being three full plastic bags. In addition had they all been surprisingly heavy, and Lavi had to carry three out of the four bags he had bought.

"Eh?"

Lavi literarily dumped the three bags down on the floor as soon as they were inside the building and let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Don't 'eh' me, what made me your shopping cart? You could at least have taken one more, yours weights up to nothing." He demonstrated by lifting Allen's bag up with his middle finger alone, to which Allen only shrugged.

"You were the enthusiastic one at the Wal-Mart and wanted to carry them for me. How was I to know that yours were heavier than mine?"

A look settled upon Lavi's face that obviously said 'you saw the way I nearly had to drag them', which Allen decided to respond to with a small, sardonic smile. His hands joining behind his back, as a shy child would do.

"Sorry Lavi, I didn't mean to burden you. I can take them from here."

Allen knew very well that he had a certain ability to charm the person he was talking to with his (he hated to admit), childish (how he hated that word) appearance. Not many could resist the look of an innocent kid who were asking if he could have one of those caramels you were carrying. And that, Allen discovered, goes for Lavi too. Not too long after he had apologized Lavi had started shaking his head in denial. Clearly wanting Allen to believe that he hadn't done anything wrong.

"No, no, it's fine Allen-chan. I mean, I'm not the sexiest guy for nothing, right?"

"...what does being sexy have to do with carrying bags?" Allen asked. He didn't really see the connection at all. Lavi only winked at him in return as he hoisted the bags over his shoulder.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Allen was tempted to say 'no, he wouldn't like that', but decided to let Lavi live in his dream world (where he obviously was the sexiest guy on earth) a little bit longer.

They were just about to walk up the stairs to Allen's apartment when the front door burst open. Most likely kicked by someone in a very bad mood. Which it seemed to be too, since the one who walked in was Kanda, who looked like this was the worst day of his life by the look of his face. To clear off some of the confusion; he didn't look sad or depressed, just down right angry. _Scary _angry.

"Eh, Kanda?" "There you are Yu-chan." They said simultaneously, both a bit surprised by the sudden entrance.

Kanda didn't answer them. Actually, he barely even registrated them as he started to look for his keys in his pockets.

"Hey, Yu-chan. Over here."

Lavi waved with his one free hand as he tried to get Kanda's attention. Nothing seemed to work on him however as Kanda found the right key, threw the door open and smacked it shut after him. Now this would have been normal Kanda behaviour, had he not locked the door from the inside right after he had closed it.

"Wha-?"

Both Allen and Lavi didn't know what to say after Kanda's little display. They were both staring at his door without having anything to say. Lavi was the first to break the silence by clearing his throat.

"Okaaay, awkward."

Allen couldn't have agreed more. But despite seeing how relaxed Lavi was, he couldn't help but feel that some of Kanda's anger was his fault. At least, that was what he was afraid of. He wanted to go talk to Kanda, he really did. But it seemed like Kanda was going to stay to his plan of keeping away from him. Why couldn't that stubborn idiot just give him a chance to talk, and maybe apologize if that was what he wanted.

"It seems like Yu is in a bad mood today. Not like _that's_ the first time, but he surely knows how to kill the mood."

Nodding distantly, Allen shot the door a last look before he started moving towards the staircase.

"I'll help you with these, and then I'm going to check in on that killjoy."

That would have made sense, had Allen not just witnessed that Kanda had locked the door from the inside.

"But how are you going to open the door? I've got a feeling Kanda won't let you in just like that."

They were outside the door to his apartment and Allen was looking for his keyes. He really needed to buy a new keychain. The one he had now was about to break, and looked ragged and empty. The next time he went shopping he was going to buy a new chain and a few key rings to go with it, to make it a bit more...personal.

When they were inside, Lavi showed him a big fat, Cheshire cat grin, nearly making Allen wince at its mischiefness.

"I have my ways."

---

And the reason for why Lavi was able to to that?

Lavi had always been the biggest troublemaker at school. The only one comparable to Lavi was Daiysha Barry, Kanda's step brother. Whenever he had the chance he would play pranks at not only other students, but also teachers. There was one time, when the teachers had installed a new program on all the computers at school that kept surveillance, and made the teacher able to see what programs the students were using during class. Now, this would have been a wonderful tool for the teachers, if there hadn't been for a certain student that had hacked his teacher's computers and frozen the screens.

Everyone knew who had done it, but since the teachers couldn't prove that Lavi had done it, he escaped detention. Still, Lavi became some sort of local hero among the students after that (even though he does pranks on them too), and will remain so most probably even after he quits.

With this kind of background, locked doors was not supposed to be a bump in the road for Lavi. He had picked locks since third grade, so a lock like Kanda's was nothing.

"What the fu-Lavi? You shithead, what the fuck are you doing in my apartment. I remember locking that goddamn door."

"Yeah well, locks can't hold me back baby."

Strolling into the apartment, Lavi threw himself on the coach and let out a relieved sigh. His muscles were aching after carrying those unbelievable heavy bags.

Kanda had just taken a beer out of his refrigerator and gone into the living room, only to be met by a goddamn awful sight.

"Get the fuck out of my apartment!"

"Wow Yu-chan. Do you feel a strange sense of daijavu? It feels like I've seen this scenario before, do you feel it?"

"Fuck off!"

Kanda cursed the whole way over to the leaning chair and unceremoniously fell down in it. The last thing he wanted at the moment was to talk to Lavi, one of the two that was the cause of his bad mood. How the hell had he gotten in anyway? Had he picked his lock? The next time he went to town he had to make sure to get a new lock. Maybe an electronic one. He was sure the landlord wouldn't mind.

"So, Yu-chan."

He knew it was going to come, but that didn't make him any less angry.

"What kind of stick did you accidentaly sit on today, hm?"

If his beer hadn't been half full, he would have gladly thrown it in that punk-ass idiot's face. Regretably, that would be a waste of beer.

"A stick I wouldn't mind to beat the hell out of you with."

"Easy there big guy. But really, what's up with you? You scared the hell out of Allen back there."

Kanda shot him a look.

"Well, not really. But he seemed to feel a bit, I dunno, guilty?"

This time Kanda snorted.

"Serves him right. That little idiot always complicate things."

Now this had Lavi interested. He had always found Kanda's personality interesting (which might be the reason behind his constant nagging), and he knew that it had to be very good 'things' that Allen supposedly had complicated.

"What kind of things are you talking about Yu-chan? Care to share?"

"He fucking expected me to apologize to him after **I** saved his sorry little ass, when it was HE that was suppsoed to give ME a fucking apology. Spoiled brat."

"Waitwaitwait, wait. Saved him? From what exactly?"

Lavi could honestly say that he had no clue what Kanda was talking about. When was he supposed to have saved the little guy? There hadn't been anything dangerous happening in this town for weeks. He had read the newspapers everyday and there hadn't been any car-crashes, vases falling out of windows, or robberies as far as he knew. Wait, robberies. Hadn't there been an armed robbery just a few days back? The report had even said that one civilian had been shot, but that the civilian had refused to get medical help.

"Hell Yu-chan, were you guys involved in the robbery four days ago? Please say no."

Kanda raised an eyebrow at him. A bored look on his face that clearly said that he couldn't have cared less.

"So?"

"SO?" Lavi sprung to his feet and stared at Kanda in disbelief.

"Don't act like this is another daily event for you. You said you saved Allen. Did he get shot?"

"Would you fucking calm down? And no, that brat didn't get fucking shot. I covered him."

And just like that Lavi let out a sigh of relief and fell down on the couch again.

"Phew, don't scare me like that, man. It's not good for my heart."

"And the fact that I might have gotten shot didn't hit you at all?"

"You got shot?"

There was genuin surprise in Lavi's voice as he asked. That Kanda might have gotten shot hadn't hit him at all, for some strange reason. Not that he didn't care, but Kanda just seemed like someone who just wouldn't die on a whim. He knew it was weird to believe that, but he also knew that Allen had much less chance of survival in a situation like that.

_Thud!_

A dull sound reached their ears. They both looked up at the roof where the sound had come from, as if expecting it would suddenly just fall down.

They looked at each other.

"What was that?"

"How the fuck should I know?"

Another thud reached their ears, followed by another one. If Lavi didn't know better, he would say the sound reminded him of someone falling.

The next thing they heard surprised them both even more. It was the sound of heavy footsteps, that obviously did not belong to Allen, and the slamming of a door.

"What the fuck?"

Kanda ignored Lavi and made way for the hallway. He didn't know why, but that sound pissed him off.

"Yu, wait!"

But he didn't wait. He was outside Allen's door as fast as his legs could take him and nearly kicked the door when he found out it was locked. He didn't bother knocking.

Lavi was there not long after.

"Make yourself useful and open this now, fucker!"

Scowling, Lavi went over to the door with the bobby pin already in hand.

"Ai ai, captain."

The door opened with a few twists of Lavi's hand, and he barely had time to open the door after unlocking it before Kanda barged in.

"Hey, give me some credit, would you?" He yelled after him, even though he knew he'd be ignored.

Kanda didn't have to go far to discover the cause of all the ruckus. A quick look into the bedroom and he saw the Beansprout on the floor. The first thing he noticed was that his shirt was open, and sliding of his shoulders. The buttons that had been holding it together seemed to have been ripped off with brute force. The look on the kid's face told him that it had not been willingly. He looked scared and put off. Kanda could even see the beginning of a bruise on that usually white chin of his.

The boy looked at him as he entered the bedroom, a mix of confusion, sadness and relief shone in his eyes.

"K-Kanda?"

"Beansprout? What the fuck are you doing?"

Allen opened his mouth to answer, but before he had the chance to say anything the door opened wider and Kanda was able to see who else was in the room, and the cause of all this.

"Who the hell are you?"

* * *

**AN: **Sorry for the delay. But since this update was so late, I made it longer than normal. Yay! :D A total of 5292 words. I hope it lived up to the expectations. If you find anything that should be corrected (like typos, grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, words I have used that doesn't really exist, etc), please let me know, 'k? Thanks!

**And to those who read this story and likes it. If I get 13(+) reviews by Wednsday, then the next chapter will be up within Sunday the week after. You have my word. (Usually I don't do things like this, but it would be my first story to get more than 100 reviews ^^ it would be really cool~)**

This time I'm going to answer _every single review_ I get. (Unless it's anonymous of course). So I'm looking forward to it~

Thank you for reading :)

Btw: Anyone looking forward to the new chapter that will be out tomorrow? 8D I'm so excited, the fact that it's the first day of school doesn't even matter. I know it will take some time before it gets scanlated, but that won't take many days. ^^ And since Binktopia is going to scanlate it (or so I've heard), then there will be high quality too w I can barely wait!!!!


End file.
